Stars Reborn
by saru-invasion
Summary: Sakura's life was going great until a presence suffocates her, forcing Sakura to transfer to Hong Kong in hopes of regaining her bearings. Meeting up with old friends and a new enemy, they discover who they are and what their hearts desire.
1. Escape Route

Chapter One

Chapter One

A drop of water fell creating a ripple effect. The darkness surrounding me turned into a cliff. I was gripping the sealing staff in front me. My grip was so tight that my knuckles were white. Kero and Yeu were standing on my left and right, power radiating from every fiber of their being.

"Where am I?" I asked outloud.

I was startled by the chime of small bells behind me and I turned around to see who was there. There were no bells behind me. Instead meters across from where I was, was a forest of sakura trees (sakura means cherry tree and cherry blossom), and in front of the forest was a wolf. The wolf had brown fur and amber eyes. Its eyes showed determination and a serious nature within them.

The wolf took a step towards me; "Stay back," I commanded it. To defend myself I swung the sealing staff in front of me like it was a sword only to see it was broken.

The head of the staff was gone.

Defenseless, I was scared stiff. No staff head meant no way for me to use my magic. The wolf saw how scared I was and its eyes softened. It started to whine, like it was trying to tell me I was safe and it wouldn't hurt me.

"I know you," I stated. The world began to blur around me. "But….who are you?"

RIIIIIIING RIIIIIIING

I grabbed my alarm clock, turned it off and put it on my pillow. I opened my eyes and looked at the time.

"Hoe! I'm going to be late!" I exclaimed jumping out of bed. I started rushing around my room getting ready.

Kero poked his head of his bedroom, "What's all the noise for?"

I turned to him, "Kero-chan! Why didn't you wake me up?"

Kero shrugged, "I thought you might get up on time for once."

I stopped in front of my mirror and brushed my hair. I didn't put it up in little pig-tails because of the hair cut I had gotten a few months earlier. My hair was shorter all around. It had even become a little lighter in colour because of the sun. (Her hair is the same as her hair from Tsubasa Chronicles).

When I had gotten the hair cut I had been worried if Tomoyo would be mad, but all she had said was, "Sakura your hair is lovely this way, it brings more attention to your beautiful green eyes."

I had been happy to hear she liked it.

As I was leaving my bedroom, I saw her elementary and middle school uniforms sticking out of my closet—I made a mental note to clean it out. They both held so many memories, but now I had my Seijo High School uniform to fill with memories.

I shook my head and focused on getting to school on time. I quickly ate my breakfast and started skating like the devil was on her heels. More like Touya and his monster comments, but still. You'd think he would have gotten tired of those old insults by now.

I sighed in relief, "I should make it to school on time now. I just hope _they_—" I was interrupted by a powerful presence, "Don't show up." I sighed again, this time in despression.

Kero popped out of my bag and said in my ear, "Sakura, do you feel that presence?"

"Hoe!" I screamed. Would it kill him to ask if he can come to school? "Kero-chan, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to check on you 'cause you haven't been you cheerful self. Now answer the question," Kero said.

"Yes, I feel it, Kero-chan. I was hoping it wouldn't be here today," I said sullenly.

"What—" Kero never got to finish his question because we'd reached Seijo High School and I immediately stuffed Kero into my school bag. After managing to keep him a secret all this time, I wasn't about to blow it now.

_It's been like this everyday for weeks_, I thought sullenly while walking to my first class. _That presence follows me everywhere I go, watching me. I don't feel as happy as I used to. Is this what's it like to be paranoid?_

I opened the door to my class and saw Tomoyo wave me over. Tomoyo had managed to get into the same homeroom as me. Wonder if she planned it. I walked over to see her.

"Morning, Tomoyo-chan," I said.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan, I have something for you," Tomoyo said. She handed me a box with a ribbon on it.

"Tomoyo, you shouldn't have gotten me anything," I said holding the box she'd shoved in my hands.

Tomoyo had a thoughtful expression on her face, "You haven't been cheerful lately, and I'm hoping this will bring a smile back to you face. Now go on and open it." Nothing gets past her does it?

I opened the box and saw a photo album. When I opened the album, I almost cried out of happiness. The album was filled with pictures from my life starting in third grade when Tomoyo and I had met.

"Arigato (Arigato means thank-you), Tomoyo-chan" I turned to her and smiled, "Arigato."

Throughout class I looked through the album, reliving the memory each photo held. By break (a.k.a. lunch), I had gone through the photos taken in third grade—don't ask me what we were taught in class. Now it was on to fourth grade.

I turned the page and I could only get one word out of my mouth, "Shaoran-kun." The first picture was a group photo of me, Tomoyo, Meilin, and Shaoran. Meilin and Shaoran weren't on really friends at the time so they looked kind of grumpy. How did Tomoyo get to agree to the picture?

I looked closer at the photo and gasped. I nearly dropped the photo album on the ground "Sakura-chan what is it?"

Kero poked his head out of my school bag, "What is it, Sakura?"

"The wolf. The wolf is Shaoran-kun," I whispered.

Kero and Tomoyo both looked confused, "Wolf?"

I began to explain, "Last night I had a strange dream. I was facing a pointed cliff, when I turned around I saw cherry trees, and a wolf. The wolf's fur was the same colour as Shaoran-kun's hair. What gave it away though was Shaoran-kun's eyes. They're the same as the wolf's."

Kero sat on top of my school bag. "So, the kid was a wolf in your dream," Kero confirmed. "Was there anything strange in this dream?"

I closed my eyes and went through my dream, "Yeah, the sealing staff was broken."

"The staff was…" Tomoyo started. Kero finished, "Broken?"

"Sakura's dream was definitely a foretelling dream, but as far as I know the staff can't break", Kero muttered.

Suddenly the same presence that had been following me all this time reappeared from all around me. I seized up with fear.

"They're back," I said. "I have to get away." I got up and ran towards the school gates.

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo called after me.

I was panicked. The only thing on my mind was getting out of sight of whoever was watching me. There had to be some way. There had to be!

I stopped at a cross-walk and focused on finding the strongest point of the presence. The presence was all around me with no weak point, so I kept running forward.

As I ran across the road I heard someone calling me. I didn't care. I just kept running.

When I stopped running the presence was weakening, but it still surrounded me. When I stopped to look around I was in the middle of King Penguin park.

My body gave up. It needed to rest and relieve all the stress I'd built up. I dropped down on my knees and started to cry.

"Sakura-chan!" Someone called.

The footsteps came closer until they stopped next to me. All I saw were shoes. I didn't have the strength to look up.

The mystery person knelt next to me and put a hand on my shoulder as a comforting gesture.

The gesture had the opposite effect. As soon as I felt someone touching me, I cringed away to try and protect myself. I'd never felt this vulnerable.

"Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" the person asked. I straightened out. It was Yukito. He would never hurt me.

For a moment I looked up at Yukito with tear clouded eyes, only to bury my face in his shirt and cry harder than before. In between sobs I said, "Yukito-san." I hung onto his name like it was my only lifeline.

Yukito picked me up bridal style and smiled at me, "If you stay in the rain you'll get sick." Then put me down under a tree where the rain couldn't reach us.

"My other self is very worried about you, Sakura. He's demanding to talk to you, so I'm going to change," Yukito warned me.

White wings unfolded from Yukito's back. They gave the appearance of the moon floating underneath the trees. They glowed as the reflected the light around them just like the real moon in the sky.

The wings opened to reveal Yue. Immediately he said, "He exaggerates," to try and save his dignity. That had better be the reason.

"Yue-san, they're everywhere. Always watching me. I can't get away," I cried.

My face was tear stained, I wasn't thinking rationally, and I couldn't stop crying. I was officially hysterical.

Yue suddenly did something I would never expect from him. He slapped me.

I sat there stunned. Yue was the last person I _ever_ expected to do that. Yet there I was, in the rain, and being brought back to my senses by the callous guardian of The Sakura.

"When people are hysterical, they aren't able to think properly. One with great power cannot allow themselves to be controlled by such a state," Yue said.

I nodded solemnly, "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Finally, I caught up to you, Sakura!" Kero shouted flying towards me and Yue.

"What were you thinking!? Running off like that is extremely dangerous!" Kero exploded. "Not to mention how worried Tomoyo is right now," Kero added as an after thought.

I looked at the ground. "I'm sorry Kero-chan. I didn't mean to make the two of you worry," I said with a trembling voice.

Kero patted the top of my head, "Don't cry, Sakura. You're safe so there's nothing to worry about now," Kero comforted.

"Yue-san, Kero-chan, I need to get away from here," I told them.

"What do you mean?" Kero asked.

"Someone has been watching everything I do. They know where I go everyday and follow me. I feel like the only way to make them stop is to go somewhere else," Sakura explained.

"The idea makes sense, but where would you go?"

"I'll transfer to a school in Hong Kong. The last time we went there you mentioned the city has an aura of its own, so if I go there whoever's following me shouldn't be able to find me easily," I said.

Kero looked into my eyes, and shrugged. "It looks as if you've made up your mind."

"Uh-huh," I nodded.

"Then you should get back to school, and organize the transfer," Kero said.

"I have a promise to keep, so I will have Yukito transfer to a college in Hong Kong," Yue said.

"Let's go back to school, Kero-chan," I said feeling better. Then I turned to Yue, "Thank-you, Yue-san."

Yue didn't acknowledge my thanks, as usual. He spread his wings to change back to Yukito.

Kero flew into my bag, as I started the walk back to school.

A/N: Hi, All! This is a fic I've wanted to make for a long time now, and I've finally gotten to it. I hope you all enjoy this story, and if anyone reading this is also reading my other story Destiny's Spiral, the story from about chapter three onwards is being rewritten. So far I've just been making it up as I go, but I found my original notes and like them better than what I've got. So I'm going with them. Anyway thanks for reading, and please review to tell me what you think! **R&R**

Kelso


	2. On The Road

Chapter Two

The final bell of the school day rang and I left my class as quickly as I could. I skipped my trip to my locker—My books and homework could wait—and went straight to Seijo's guidance office.

When I walked into the office the only sound was the clicking of a keyboard from one secretary, and the shuffling of papers from the second across the rectangular room.

I walked up to the typing secretary, "Excuse me."

The secretary stopped typing, and looked up at her visitor. It was written all over her face that she didn't appreciate being interrupted. "Yes?"

"I'm looking for transfer papers to a school in Hong Kong," I said putting on my best smile.

Secretary Number One opened a drawer and handed me some forms. "All you need to do is fill out these, have a guardian sign them, and return the papers A.S.A.P. If you hand in the forms by the end of the week, you'll be able to enter classes in Hong Kong at the beginning of the second trimester," the secretary explained.

I picked up the forms and turned to leave.

"One more thing. The forms are to be handed in over there," Secretary Number One said, pointing to Secretary Number Two.

I nodded, "Hai (Hai means yes)."

As I walked away from the guidance office, I brushed elbows with someone hiding around the corner. I was so absorbed in the forms that I didn't look up when I apologized.

I'd done it. It'd taken one evening of talking with my father, and a night and morning of thinking it over. Not to mention a night and morning of avoiding my brother at all costs. I had handed in the transfer forms in time to be transferred two weeks before the end of July.

Two weeks before the start of the second trimester is plenty of time to get settled and prepare before school starts again in August, and Hong Kong is a city filled with auras over a thousand years old. Which means whoever it is that's been watching me will have a hard time finding me.

"Then why am I so nervous?" I asked myself out loud as I sat on a swing in King Penguin Park.

"Sakura-chan!" Someone called from the sidewalk.

I looked up to see Chiharu, Naoko, Rika and Tomoyo running towards me, and stood up to greet them.

"Hi, everyone," I greeted.

Not one to beat around the bush with anything, Tomoyo got right to the point.

"What's wrong Sakura-chan?"

I raised my hands to reassure them. "I'm just nervous, that's all. Nothing to worry about."

"Is it because of that math test on Thursday? If it is don't worry, you'll do fine," Chiharu said.

"If you need any help you can always ask one of us. It wouldn't be any trouble," Rika offered. She turned to address the other three. "Right?"

Naoko and Chiharu nodded their heads completely sure that that was the answer. Tomoyo nodded with them but a twinkle in her eye. Always present when Tomoyo knew something else was wrong.

It was like being hit by a flood of guilt. One second you're fine, the next you're struggling to resurface. Here were all my friends offering to support and help me through anything. What they didn't know was that I was about to leave them all behind.

My brother had been right all along. I was a monster. Only now did I actually feel its presence. Stomping around inside me. It was like the Sakura I had known as myself had taken the first plane out of the country and was never coming back. Nice knowing you! Come visit me soon! Ya right.

All of a sudden I was trapped in Tomoyo's embrace. A chorus of 'What's wrong?' and 'Don't cry' was the only thing she could hear.

My eyes widened in surprise. I reached my hand up to touch my face. Fingers met moisture. When did I start crying?

"You can tell us anything, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo whispered in Sakura's ear.

"I feel so bad! Here you all are trying to help me and I'm leaving two weeks Friday to go to school in Hong Kong. I'm a horrible person. I didn't even think about you when I made the decision. I may as well have thrown away all of you and the memories we've made. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible." Sakura said in between sobs.

The floodgates opened. The water wouldn't stop flowing no matter how hard I tried. The truth rode the crashing waves down stream to my mouth. Everyone's going to hate me now. I must be the most filthy, uncaring person they've ever lain their eyes on. I'm not worth their trust anymore. Why can't I stop the tears?

Tomoyo made soothing circles on Sakura's back, while the rest came close to become part of the embrace. _No, please. Don't do that. You're only making me feel worse_—

"You shouldn't say things like that, Sakura-chan," Chiharu said in a lecturing tone. Sakura's eyes widen a little. Could she read minds? No that's impossible. Not even Eriol-kun or Clow-san could read minds.

"You're not horrible and we're not mad. You shouldn't feel bad at all," Naoko said.

"We were all going to separate in a few years because of school. You just spread your wings earlier than the rest of us. I admire the fact that you're so brave," Rika said. Her smile was so sincere and proud that I could feel myself smile with her.

"We all just want what's best for you, Sakura-chan. We're sure whatever your reasons are, they're the right ones. We already know you wouldn't do anything to hurt us intentionally. You're to kind a person to do that, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said.

I smiled again. I couldn't help it. The smiles around me were so contagious. "Thank you."

"Oh no!" Chiharu said.

The embrace loosened so everyone could see Chiharu. "What? Were you supposed to meet with Yamazaki-kun?" the friends teased her.

"No. The streetlights came on while we were talking. Dinner's going to be ready if it isn't already on the table. There goes the phone for the summer," Chiharu sighed.

Panic flashed across Naoko and Rika's faces. "We were supposed to get books from the library for science and Japanese class," Rika said to Naoko.

"Do you think the library's still open? What am I saying, it has to be open," Naoko said, fresh determination on her face.

Rika nodded her head once with the same look.

The three quickly said good-bye to me and Tomoyo. Then left to save themselves from punishment and failure.

Tomoyo giggled at their antics as they left. I didn't know how to react. Standing with my mouth open seemed to work well.

"Shall we get going?" Tomoyou asked me.

"Mhm," I said to stunned to make actual words come out of my mouth.

Together we left the park. I walked blithely all the way home. I was in such a good mood that I even agreed to give Keri have my serving of pudding after dinner.

Blithe is bad. Very bad. I walked lighthearted into my house only to chewed on, spit out and trampled alive by a raging Toya.

I flinched as Toya slammed his fist on the kitchen table. "You're going to Hong Kong?"

"Be careful, Toya. We only have the one table," Dad said in an attempt to lighten the tension. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

"The only thing that makes this worse is I heard it from Yuki! Did you think I wouldn't notice if you weren't living here come next semester?"

I dropped my head in shame. I felt like the monster from the park again. The tears were about to burst through the gates for a second time that hour.

"I'm sorry, Onii-chan. I didn't know how to tell you. I was afraid you would react like this." My shoulders were shaking from the effort of holding back the raging tide.

Toya sighed. "Don't cry. After all, it's just like a kaijuu to force me to get up and leave town."

Anger won over guilt. I raised my fist in anger, "Onii-chan!" I paused as his words sunk in. "What do you mean leave town?"

Toya raised an eyebrow. "Did you honestly think I was going to let you live in Hong Kong alone?"

I blinked twice. Three times. "Umm, I," I had to think of something to say. "I'm going to bed."

As I walked to the stairs I yawned. The day had been more tiring than I'd thought. I feel asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The next three weeks passed in a flash. When Sakura looked back at them it was like a slide show. No sound to it. Few of the images being recorded. I hoped nothing important happened during that time. All I had on record were boring, everyday moments. The ones you wish you could forget because they didn't matter at all.

I was standing in the terminal saying good-bye to my family. I had heard everything they were saying now all week. 'We'll miss you,' 'Stay safe,' 'Don't terrorize the city to much.' Stupid Toya.

I used the time to look around the terminal. There were people everywhere. Some with bags, with food. Some were happy, and others were crying as they parted. One peculiar thing I saw was a large pile of luggage being guarded by two women in suits and sunglasses.

I was about to go closer to the luggage. I wanted to see what was so special about it, when my flight was called. The luggage was loaded onto carts and I was rushed onto my plane.

After sitting down in my seat, I felt the sudden urge for a nap. Getting up early to get on this plane had taken a chunk out of my sleeping hours. I closed my eyes.

A familiar giggle filled the air around me. It made my stomach churn with homesickness. "I just got on the plane and I'm already hearing memories of what I left behind."

The giggle started again. "You're so cute Sakura-chan."

Something wasn't right. The giggle was one thing. Light and quiet. Easy to imagine. The voice on the other hand was too real. It sounded to close. Weren't voices usually echoed or faded in your imagination?

Alright, I'll bite. I opened my eyes. Man, they were heavy. "Tomoyo-chan?" I hoped I sounded as surprised as I felt.

All Tomoyo did was smile and say, "Sleep Sakura-chan. I'll explain after we land.

Sakura tried to nod. "Okay, Tomoyo-chan." My eyes closed again and didn't open again.

Just before I wandered into the world of the unconscience I saw a vision of Kero stuffed in the luggage hold. The image made me fall asleep with a smile on my face. Hopefully he wouldn't be too mad when we landed.

A/N: It's been a while, I know. And yes, I have changed the point of view of this story. It's easier for me to write when I go through the actions and emotions _with_ the characters. So chances are new chapters will come faster then this one did before I switched views. The point of view is probably going to switch between two characters if I keep going with the idea I have. But most of it will be from Sakura's perspective. No more changes, I swear. Please Read And Review.


	3. Didn't Stand A Chance

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The room I woke up in was completely white. The bed, walls, curtains. Everything except the tatami floor was white. How boring. I hope Tomoyo-chan can brighten it up. "Tomoyo-chan. Where is she?"

I got up out of her bed and walked to the bedroom's window. I squinted in an attempt to see past the cities skyline and see the horizon. Didn't work. Instead I looked at the sky.

The sky was dark in every direction except for the area closest to the horizon line. Shades of pink, red and yellow were packed into the tiny area. Not a star could be seen in the sky despite the clear weather. The moon was almost full and glowed. Its light was dimmed because of the large amount of lights in the city.

It was obviously early evening which meant I hadn't eaten since early that morning. I was sure my stomach would appreciate a snack. It growled almost as if it were saying, "About time someone thought of me." When I could see hands being thrown in the air out of exasperation I knew I should find food.

I walked merrily to my bedroom door, and opened it. I should have opened it slowly. I was blinded by light as soon as I swung it open.

When my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw Tomoyo sitting on a couch watching TV. About a foot away from her was a table set with two cakes and two dishes. Did she bring those on the plane or make them while I was sleeping? One cake was strawberry shortcake. The other was covered in chocolate icing and Kero.

Kero looked up and saw me. "Sakura!" he called flying over.

"I'm glad you're awake. Tomoyo said I couldn't have cake until you woke up," he whined. "Why couldn't you wake up sooner?"

"And here I thought you were glad to see me." I didn't realize the edge to my voice until I finished speaking.

Kero returned my comment with a glare. I returned the stare and the glaring contest began. We were forehead to forehead when Tomoyo told Kero he could have the cake now.

"Woo-hoo!" Kero cheered. He flew in a loop onto the chocolate cake and took a bite. "Tomoyo always makes the best sweets," he praised. What an ingrate.

I sat on the floor in front of the table and cut a piece of the strawberry shortcake before Kero could migrate and eat that too. I moved a piece of the cake around on my plate deep in thought. Asking Tomoyo why she was here would be rude at the least. How do I ask her without giving the impression that I don't want her here?

I was ripped out of those thoughts by Tomoyo's quiet chuckle. "If there's something you want to ask just say it. Don't worry about my feelings. After all, nothing you say could hurt me."

How does she do that? "I've tried to figure it out but I can't. Why are you here Tomoyo-chan?"

"That day you ran off from school you came back looking anxious. Throughout class you kept looking at the clock. That was unusual so I followed you when classes ended. I was surprised when you snuck off to guidance. You walked like you were running from the police." She laughed.

"I waited until you finished your business then went in myself. The secretary was…reluctant to tell me what you had been in there for. After a couple minutes alone with her she would have told me everything I wanted and more. I decided then and there that there was no way I was letting my Sakura-chan go off to Hong Kong alone so I got the same program forms as you.

"I thought my cover was blown when you walked into me after you left the office. It was lucky for me that you were so absorbed by your plans,"

"That was you?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

This right here proved that there's something to be said about being down to earth.

"Now that we're here, what do we do? There's still two weeks until school."

"That's easy. Tomorrow we start filming 'Sakura's Hong Kong Adventure.' One girl's attempt at escape and relaxation. Seeing the sights, the city's history and ancient culture s—It'll be a hit!"

"That's…great." Not so much. How did I not see that coming? I guess it's not so bad. She could have a crazy costume for me."

"You'll need a costume. I'll have to take your measurements—"

If I could make it to my room I'd be safe. I forced out a yawn. "Boy, am I tired. I'll just head off to bed now."

"But you just woke up, Sakura," Kero said. "You're not trying to run are you?"

Damn him. He enjoys my suffering too much. "Not at all. The flight just took more out of me then I thought. See you two in the morning."

Just five steps. Three. Two. One. I closed my door and leaned against it for support. Safe! If only I could be safe for the rest of my life.

"Don't you have enough footage yet?" I asked. It came out more as a babyish whine than a question. "You've filmed me buying my school uniform and food, eating food, walking, and window shopping. What else is there?"

"I'll know what else there is when I film it. If you wanted to make things more interesting you could use Kero as a dummy and put on a street show."

She couldn't be serious. She already had me walking around in Chinese fighting clothes. I was a street show as it was.

She smiled with an unnerving twinkle in her eyes. "Don't worry Sakura-chan. I couldn't make you do such a thing." It looked as if she was seriously considering trying though.

"Sakura," Kero called form Tomoyo's purse.

"Is something wrong Kero-chan?" I asked. "You've been quiet for a while now. It's not like you to not complain when you're stuffed into our bags."

"We should head back to the apartments. It's getting dark and something in the air isn't right."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever heard the saying, 'Red sky in the morning is a Shepard's warning. A red sky at night is a Shepard's delight'?"

"What does a farmer's saying have to do with anything?"

The roots of that saying are of magic. The colour of the sky was said to tell whether the day would be filled with danger or good fortune. Today at dawn the sky was ruby red. I'm not sure what this is or what's causing this disturbance. It's best that we settle in for the night where it's safe."

For the past half hour the sky had been a vibrant orange. Now it was quickly darkening with more stars visible each second. Now that I thought about it, everyone on the streets had rushed home. It could be a coincidence or it could be a survival instinct buried deep in the subconscious. Even though the people couldn't sense the danger, they went for safety without knowing why.

I looked up and met Tomoyo's gaze. One look told me she was thinking the same thing I was.

"We better hurry to get back before it gets much darker."

Everything after that meshed together. We were running, but the ground beneath my feet seemed to soften.

Before I had time to loose my footing I was being called. I knew magic was doing all this which meant I would be able to stop it. In the second it took for me to recognize that fact, it was too late for me. The spell had me in its claws. It was dragging me to its caster. The same aura I had spent so much time running from was what I was now running to.

I turned the corner. Somewhere in the back of my mind I recognized Kero and Tomoyo calling after me. There was a fiery light behind me. When it disappeared so did the sound of their feet chasing me.

Kero flew up beside me in his true form, Tomoyo on his back. "What are you doing, Sakura?"

Words came out of my mouth without my consent. "I have to go."

"Make room for Sakura. Wherever she's going, there's no stopping her. We'll have to make sure she stays safe." He must have been talking to Tomoyo.

"Get on, Sakura. We'll take you where you need to go."

"Good."

I had no clue where I was going, yet I knew exactly where I was supposed to be. That place was the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings. I turned to where I somehow knew my caller was.

A cloaked figure stepped forward from the shadows to join me on the rooftop.

As soon as I had control of my body the cloak figured drew a sword and leapt at me.

My eyes widened in fear. Why was I always forced into these situations? I never wanted this fight. I never wanted any of this.

When Kero tackled pushed me aside it felt like a boulder had been thrown my way. He pressed his body against mine as he protected me from the strike of my opponent.

He opened his wings which sent the figure back.

"Do something, Sakura!" he roared.

What? What do you want me to do? I got up and ran.

I may have been one of the quickest runners back at Seijo, but I was no match for my attacker. They moved with the grace and speed of a skilled martial artist. Their abilities with the sword made my cause more pathetic than it already was.

The blade was raised. I had to do something. Anything was better than what I was doing now.

I tripped.

The edge of the blade landed a foot from my head. I gulped at the sight of it. If I hadn't tripped that blade would be gleaming with my blood.

"The key! Use the key, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo called from the side. You could hear her tears in her voice.

My hand instantly shot for the chain around my neck. I scrambled to my feet. It was now or never.

"Key that holds the power of the stars, reveal your true form before me! I, Sakura, command you under our contract. Release!"

The familiar surge of power flowed though my body as the key changed into the staff. It filled me with courage and gave me the moment of peace I needed to get my thoughts in order.

The sword was flying for my chest. To defend myself I held the staff in the way of the blade. I pray that Kero was right when he said the staff can't break.

It held and I was allowed to be the master of the cards for another minute.

The attacks kept coming. There wasn't enough for me to counter in between strikes.

"Don't let yourself get cornered!" Kero yelled before shooting a ball of fire at the cloaked figure.

They dodged the attack so well that the only damage they took was singed sleeves.

I had to think. I was up against a sword master and skilled martial artist. They seemed to fly when they moved. It was as if they never touched the ground.

That was it!

"Kero! I need you to cover me!"

Without waiting for an answer I raised the staff in front of me and called forth the cards I needed.

"Fight! Sword! Fly! Grant me your strength and skills! Release!"

Fight to defend myself, sword for offense, and fly to catch me when I fall. With these three at my side I should stand a chance of finishing this once and for all.

The cloaked figure laughed. Not the response I was hoping for.

"Now this is getting interesting." Their voice was distorted. I couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl.

They dropped their sword on the ground. "I never needed this to win and still don't."

Before leaping into battle with the cloaked person I turned to Kero. "Protect Tomoyo."

Fighting with the cards powers was an amazing feeling. I knew what to do without thinking about it. It felt as if this kind of thing was second nature.

Unfortunately, whereas I reacted, the attacker planned. Every move they made forced me into a corner I never saw. Each new blow they landed hurt more than the previous.

During the fight we'd migrated toward a more historic and residential part of town. If you wanted to find the building we started at, all you had to do was follow the path of destruction left behind. If this battle didn't end soon, these pieces of history would end up like the buildings before it.

As I fly in one space I felt the world spin. Every part of my body ached. I could barely lift my left arm. My right lay lifeless at my side.

My attacker barely had a scratch.

In the time it took for me to blink I had been kicked in the gut and sent plummeting to the roof below me.

My vision blurred and the staff returned to normal. Sword flew to the safety of my pocket.

Kero flew over with Tomoyo on his back.

"Hold on, Sakura!"

"We're coming!"

Each one of their pleads was like a punch to the gut. Their worry and suffering was my fault. It was always my fault.

Before they could reach me Kero flew into a barrier. They wouldn't be able to save me this time.

I forced myself to get up. I had to keep going.

I flew into the air to put space between us and held the staff in front of me.

"Stay back!" I ordered.

The figure chuckled.

"You stalk me in my hometown! Now when I'm trying to find peace you attack me." I could feel my temper rising. I was losing control of something inside me and I could feel it gathering in the staff.

"I'm not going to take it anymore! Once I'm through with you, you'll wish you never discovered me!"

I waved the staff toward her as if it was a weapon. "Never!" I screamed.

Something snapped inside me and what little control I had left was gone. A great energy shot itself to the head of the staff. There was a blinding white light created by the energy, followed by a cracking sound.

When the light settled, the head of the staff shattered. It couldn't be. Kero said the staff was unbreakable. If the staff broke then I wouldn't be able to call on the cards. I was left defenseless.

My attacker used my distraction to their advantage.

I couldn't register what was going on anymore. I felt a sharp pain at my side and went hurtling toward the ground.

I never felt the impact of my landing. I was unconscious before I touched ground.

A/N: I'm not dead and this chapter proves I'm far from. No Shaoran in this one. Sorry to disappoint folks. The story continues, don't give up hope yet. Please R&R. I love hearing what you, the readers, have to say about my story. What you thought, what you liked, what you didn't, I want to hear it all. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this one.

Kelso


	4. Up And About

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

I dreamed as I drifted.

My mind would conjure up the sound of a person long gone. It was the most beautiful sound imaginable—as kind and comforting as it was hair raising. There was another sound: a constant quiet chatter.

I tried with all my might to rise to the surface, but to no avail. The water pushed down on me from all sides. It choked my breathing and stopped me from reaching the beautiful voice. I wanted to see the face that matched it. I wanted it so bad. Even with that desire guiding me I couldn't reach it—my arm wouldn't raise from my side.

After all the mental coaching, it was a pressing pain on the right side of my body that brought me to the surface. My eyes fluttered open then quickly closed. After spending all that time under dark waters, the light was blinding. A moan of discomfort escaped my lips.

"Fuutie, she's awake!" a voice called from the right. I didn't recognize it. Where was I?

I propped myself up on my elbows to try to get a look around. The action took more effort than it should have. My body was so weak and the right half of my ribcage—the area someone had been poking—was so tender. I had to grind my teeth to keep from complaining.

When I opened my eyes everything was blurry. I could vaguely make out two people near the bed I was lying in. "Fuutie…" I drawled out.

Gentle hands rested on my shoulders. They applied enough pressure to try and encourage me to lie back down. "Yes, Fuutie. She's my sister. We're both here to take care of you. To help us, we need you to lie down and go to sleep. Can you do that?"

It was such a musical voice. It was like a soothing lullaby that made my eyelids get heavy just listening to it. Once my head hit the pillow all I saw was darkness. Right away I knew that this darkness was temporary—the darkness of sleep and dreams—unlike the last that had engulfed and forced me down.

The time I spent asleep felt like a second. I opened my eyes to find the room I was in empty and dark. The only light was moonbeams from behind a curtain.

This was great. I was wide awake at night and my nurses were gone. What do I do now? Where were Tomoyo and Kero? How long had I been asleep? Could I—was I allowed to—get out of bed? So many questions I wanted to have answered.

I wiggled every part of my body to see if I was well enough to move around. There were some areas that were tender to move or touch, like if I had a bruise. No tooth grinding pain like I had felt last time I was conscious. Just how long _had_ I been asleep?

Moving carefully, I made my way to the only source of light I could see in the room. The curtains were too big for a window and nothing motivates like curiosity.

When the curtains were pulled aside, they revealed a large sliding glass door. Beyond the door was a wooden balcony. The light of the moon danced through the cherry tree next to her balcony.

"So beautiful," I said walking outside.

"That's kind of you to say. You haven't even seen the whole yard yet."

I quickly turned to face the door I'd come from. Standing in the doorway was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. From her silhouette I could make out a long ponytail trailing past the waist and a flowing form-fitting kimono.

I knew who it was. The voice had brought forth a memory of a time so long ago. Shaoran standing straight as a board in the presence of a beautiful woman in his home. I remembered the revealing of the reasons for my winning a trip to Hong Kong.

"Li-san?" I bowed so quickly my body burned and my stomach churned—or was that from nerves. I could be bowing to no one. It was so long ago, I could have gotten people confused. That'd be embarrassing.

I could see the woman step forward to stand in front of me. When she stopped I felt a hand on the side of my face gently pulling me see we were face to face.

"Great power is often a trigger for adversity. Especially in Hong Kong. That is what I said to you last time, was it not?" I was right! It was Li Yelan! Does that mean I can finally see him?

Yelan smiled. "It would seem the Clow—Sakura cards have led you into more danger here in this city."

"It's not just this city, Li-san," I said quietly. My voice sounded so unsure compared to Yelan's. "Every where I go I'm in danger. I'm afraid for all those around me. As long as they're near me they're in danger. I don't want them to get hurt because of me!"

Tears gathered and pooled over as vivid memories of my last encounter rushed forward. I'd done all I could but I still wasn't good enough to save Tomoyo and Kero. Eriol would have defeated the attacker with ease. Shaoran would have made sure the others were safe no matter what happned to him, but I couldn't do either.

I almost died that night. I could remember the feeling of life leaving me like it was second nature. It had been so welcoming. Everything was so clear at the moment I became unconscious. I was going to die. I would never see Shaoran again. After all their tests and lessons, I would have disappointed Kero, Yue, and Eriol. Onii-san and Oto-san would never know the truth about my life, though I get a feeling Onii-san knows.

The scary thing is, I wanted to die at the time. I wanted the freedom of my soul and the eternal calm I could feel grabbing at my mind. To see and understand everything about the things and people in my life all the time would have been amazing. Despite the pain it would have caused and all the people I would leave behind, I wanted to. It wouldn't have been goodbye forever, I had thought at the time. They would join me again some day.

Tears of shame streamed down my face. How could I think of leaving them like that?

I could see Yelan's eyes widen at my outburst. "I see there's more to this story than I know. I want you to tell me everything later on when you're emotions are stable. Alright?"

Don't sob. Don't sob. Don't sob. I nodded in agreement.

"Now you should get some more rest. You'll be healed tomorrow and I'll send one of my daughters to bring you down for breakfast or lunch depending on when you wake up."

Yelan gracefully turned and walked back the way she came.

When I tried to do the same, I stumbled over my own feet in the dark and fell flat on the floor.

I hoped they had a cat.

Things hadn't always been this way, I mused. This gaping hole in my chest hadn't always torn at me. It's been there for so long that I can't remember what it's like to be whole.

I rolled over on my bed and saw the photo album Tomoyo had given me sitting in my bag. I reached over and pulled it from the nightstand. Flipping through the pages I found the source of pain.

Looking at Shaoran's face in the photos I tried to smile. Seeing those images filled me and also felt like pouring salt on an open wound. I didn't know it at the time, but I loved him and I still do.

It was sixth grade when I began to doubt his feelings. He'd said he loved me but something went wrong and it seemed like I was losing him. I was almost in eighth grade his letters and phone calls suddenly stopped. I'd almost camped out at our mailbox, waiting for a letter.

Eventually, I stopped thinking of him because it hurt too much. Just hearing his name would push me over the edge. I would have to grip my arms across my body to keep the hole from spreading and the pieces of my body from falling apart. When they saw my reaction, my friends and family stopped talking about him too.

But no matter how much I didn't want to remember him, I wouldn't let myself forget.

After all the effort to avoid thinking his name I'd thought it so many times since this ordeal began. To think, all it took was a near death experience to get past the pain. If my life back in Tomoeda was still hectic with magic I could have gotten past that a long time ago.

I knock at my door brought me back to earth.

"Hai?" I called out. The door to my room opened in response and a woman Touya's age walked in. She had long brown hair with a thin layer of bangs on either side of her face. A black clip on either side of her head held her hair away from her face.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan. Are you ready for lunch? I've brought some clothes for you to wear. That way you don't have to wear that fighter's outfit the whole time. You can change behind this." The woman took a paper screen out of the closet and set it up in my room.

"Arigato gozaimasu," I took the clothes and walked behind the screen.

"U-Um, who are you?" I asked while changing.

"Li Sheifa, one of Shaoran's sisters. It was mother and I that found you outside our house. You were such a mess—So cute!"

As I stepped out from behind the screen in an orange Chinese dress I could see Sheifa tense as she tried not to pounce on me. Luckily, the dress had slits on either side of the dress that made it easy for me to walk and run in case of that ever happening.

"Are you ready to go?" Sheifa asked after she recomposed herself.

"Hai."

During lunch Sheifa never left my side and Wei was happy to see me again. I had yet to meet the rest of Shaoran's sisters. Apparently I woke up later than lunch since the rest had already eaten.

"That was delicious!" I cried as I put down my chopsticks.

"Yes, well done as always, Wei."

Wei bowed, "I am glad you think so, Kinomoto-sama, Sheifa-sama."

Sheifa stood up and motioned me to follow her out of the dining room.

"I know this isn't something I should be asking of a guest, but would you mind helping my sisters and myself clean the main room as a surprise for Wei?"

"Not at all. In fact I'm happy to help. It wouldn't feel right if I were to sit around doing nothing while everyone else worked."

She stopped outside an opened set of double doors. "Thank you, Sakura-chan. Are you ready to meet my sisters?" There was a tone of warning in her voice.

"Yes," I said with confidence and enthusiasm. Maybe too much because Sheifa laughed. She called in to the others. "Everyone look who I have!"

It all happened so fast. One second I was standing undisturbed by Sheifa's side and the next I was being swarmed. Alone the sisters seemed to have some self control but when in a group they lost it. I was being hugged by all four sisters while they threw around comments like, "She's so cute!", "She's just as cute as six years ago!", and "She can never leave this house!"

"Everyone, get off her!" Who was that? She sounds familiar. Who ever she was, she was able to call of the squealing fangirls.

When I turned my head I saw her. Before I'd even realized what I was doing, I was in her arms. "Meilin-chan! What are you doing here?"

"Did you forget, Kinomoto-san? Shaoran and I live close to each other. It's actually here where I train. In that courtyard," Meilin pointed out a sliding door where a beautiful fountain area was squared in between two wings of the house. About twenty feet from the house was a rotating training dummy.

"I think the question is what are _you_ doing here."

"I-It's a long story…most of it isn't pretty."

"I see. How long do you plan on being here?"

"I haven't really thought about that," I could feel my checks going red. "I guess until I find Tomoyo-chan."

"How could you lose Daidouji-san?! What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time? Why didn't you call us?!" Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. Whoever said that obviously never met Meilin. Each of her questions had me looking at the ground and flinching.

When I dared to look up I saw Meilin was tense and heard her muttering under her breath. I caught the numbers three and four. I also noticed how Meilin had changed since I last saw her. Her black hair was still worn in the two buns on top of her head. The hair flowing out of them was much longer than it had been four years ago. All the martial arts training had made her body toned as she filled out. She was an inch or two taller than me now.

"Ten." Meilin opened her eyes—which were more determined than ever—and let them rest on me. "I'm sorry, Kinomoto-san. You just caught me off guard. I should have expected you to have with some kind of danger trailing after you, hohoho." (Her creepy laugh). Oh boy. I could feel myself deflate. Was I really that predictable?

The sisters, who had been sulking and whispering in a corner this whole time, suddenly sprung to life. "Sakura-chan, allow us to introduce ourselves," the way they chimed at the same time was a little startling.

"My name is Fanren," the one in the green dress said, (Her dress is hard to explain). Her hair was short except for one section of the back of her head, with a thick layer of bangs framing her face and forehead.

"You already know me, Sheifa." Sheifa wore a simple blue dress. A light blue cloth flower with a gem center rested over a seam near her heart.

"I'm Feimei." Her dress was black on top and from her breasts down was pink. At the base of her dress' collar was a winged brooch with a red gem center. As an accessory, Feimei wore an armlet on her right arm. Her hair was shoulder length with side bangs.

"You were the one who talked to me when I woke up the first time." There was no way I could mistake that voice.

"Which means you're Fuutie," I turned to the sister in a yellow dress. The edges of her sleeves were black. The top until her breast was a soft yellow while the rest was a bright almost primary yellow. An equally yellow tassel was pinned above Fuutie's heart and hung down to her stomach. Along the tassel was a large red circular gem.

Fuutie and Sheifa were identical. They both had gentle features and their eyes sparkled like a child. Feimei and Fanren faces gave them a more serious and mature look.

I looked at them, trying to memorize their faces so I wouldn't mistake them for another. Something Kero had said a long time ago hit me and I suddenly had a question for the four faces in front of me.

"Kero-chan told me a long time ago that it's rare for members of the Li clan to not have magical powers." I saw Meilin flinch a little. "Do you have powers too?"

Feimei handed me a mop. "Can you clean the floors while we explain?"

"Yes." I grabbed the mop from her hands and started to work. I would make the floor in this room sparkle like the night sky.

Sheifa was the first to speak as she started cleaning all the surface with Fuutie. "I was born with the power of foresight. I see things before they happen. It's because of my power that I found you in our garden."

"From there I took over," Fuutie continued. "I'm a healer. If it weren't for me you'd be in bed for at least a month because of broken ribs. Feimei and I barely left your room while you were unconscious." She smiled. "You're so cute when you're sleeping."

Feimei took over next. "While Fuutie was there to check and look after your physical health, I was there for your mental health. I can see into the minds of others when I touch them. All memories can be seen and I can hear their thoughts, I can even help direct someone's mind if they're in a coma of some sorts."

"My power isn't always as sweet as my other sisters'. I have the power of mental illusions. I can implant the idea of pain into someone's mind whenever I want. This pain isn't a little ouch either. My subjects fall to the floor in pain. They scream and writhe on the ground.

Everyday, I wish I could create images and change someone's dreams. Anything would be better than what I have now."

"Thank you for sharing." These people are a healing machine when put together.

Story time over, everyone got back to work. After cleaning for over an hour I was almost done waxing the floor I'd cleaned—that floor would be my greatest work—the front door opened and closed.

"Okaa-sama? Feimei? Sheifa? Fuutie? Fanren? I'm home!"

A/N: Hehehe, I feel so incredibly evil right now. The one you've all been waiting for is right there. Anyway, it's Canada Day today—lots of fireworks—so I decided to celebrate by posting another chapter. I'm hoping to get another chapter up this week, but we'll see. Please R&R I love your feed back

If you want to see the Li sisters' dresses click this link, (you may have to hold control while you click the link): /pages/anime/pics.html?other/ogroup040.jpg+1339+875+265.1 


	5. Reunited

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

"Okaa-sama? Sheifa? Fuutie? Fanren? Feimei? I'm home!"

"Good timing, Shaoran. I need your help with the curtains," Fanren called.

Shaoran grunted as he started our way. "You've never needed my help with curtains before. I don't see why now would be different, unless you're hanging them in a tree."

With each set of steps my body reacted. First it tensed. Second, I felt my body grow warmer. My legs flexed waiting for action. I turned and as he walked into the doorway, I pounced. All my anticipation, longing, and joy were unleashed. I didn't care if he let me go two years ago. I got to see him again before I died, which was all that mattered. Maybe this is how Meilin felt back in Tomoeda whenever she saw him.

Lying on the ground, face to face, Shaoran didn't bother opening his eyes after I tackled him. Instead, a reflex kicked in, "Meilin, how many times have I told you not to do that? Now let go."

Did he realize he was speaking Japanese? I guess Meilin hasn't jumped him since her time in Japan.

I blinked twice. Wait a second, he thought I was Meilin? She herself thought this was pretty funny since she was laughing in another corner of the room. That caught Shaoran's attention.

"I'm not Meilin-chan."

"Japanese?" Apparently he hadn't noticed what language he was speaking.

He opened his eyes and looked into mine, "Green?"

I backed my face away from his. "My name is Kinomoto Sakura, remember? Sa-ku-ra," I sounded my name out like a song. You could practically hear the click in Shaoran's mind as he put all the facts together.

"S-Sakura?!" His eyes widen until they resembled dinner plates. After the initial shock wore off, Shaoran's eyes traveled down to look at our position and he turned crimson. I followed his gaze and turned as red as he did. When I landed on Shaoran I ended up straddling him.

I hopped off him and kept my head down. "I-I'm sorry, Shaoran-kun. I never meant to… I'll try to restrain myself from now on." I looked up to see Shaoran's face had softened. He lifted his hand like he was going to reach out and touch me. Half way through the motion he let it fall and reddened again.

"It's alright, Sakura. It was just an accident after all," he said comfortingly.

"R-Right," I nodded. Confidence. I need some confidence in my voice. Less coaching, more doing.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Feimei shouted making me jump. "There's not much work left in here, so how about Little Shaoran shows Sakura-chan around the house? That way Sakura can get familiar with the grounds and not need a guide while she stays."

The plan sounded innocent enough. I didn't understand why Meilin and the other sisters were worshipping Feimei with their eyes.

"I'll do it. Will you allow me to be your guide, Sakura?" Shaoran bowed in the same manner as Wei. His eyes darted to his sisters and he smiled like he was humouring them. There was something else there too. Thanks maybe? I tossed that thought aside; he was only going to show me around. Nothing to be thankful for there.

"Of course, Shaoran-kun."

"Then let us go," he said waving towards the door. I giggled at the image. He made a good butler.

I could hear the sisters arguing as Shaoran and I left the room: _"Gee, that wasn't subtle at all, Feimei."_

_"Well I didn't see you coming up with any ideas, Fuutie. I certainly didn't hear you. Shaoran_—

The rest of the argument sounded like muffled voices as we walked out of hearing range.

"Don't mind them," Shaoran said.

"Huh?"

"My sisters and Meilin get into arguments…loud arguments, but they don't mean anything in the end. I find it makes life easier when you walk as far away from the fights as possible. You avoid getting involved and a headache," Shaoran explained.

"That makes sense. Oh, where are we going Shaoran-kun?"

"Teaching you where everything is will be easier when you see it from your room. That way you can use it as a reference point, but I don't know what room they put you in, so I thought we'd go outside. Once someone tells me where your room is I can give you a grand tour."

"It's probably best that I don't get the grand tour right now. It may be too much for me," I tried to smile but it felt more like a grimace.

Shaoran seemed more alert after I said that. He was almost frantic as he said, "Why would it be too much?!"

"This is my first day up. I've been unconscious for at least a week." I admired the way I said that casually.

Shaoran opened a sliding door to the houses courtyard and pointed at the edge of the deck. "Sit down and tell me everything that happened," he ordered. His sudden authority startled me but I was obedient. I told him about the stalking presence, my fight with the hooded figure here in Hong Kong, and the staff breaking. I left out me transferring to Hong Kong to stop him from losing his head. Still, he didn't look happy.

"No one told me you were here. Seems like everyone except me knew—even Meilin and she lives in a different house!" That explained why he was so shocked to see me sitting on him. "You said the staff broke. What do you mean?"

"I'll show you," I said getting up. I held the key in my hand and recited the incantation. When the staff formed it looked more like a pink stick than a magical weapon. Shaoran's jaw dropped a little when he saw it.

"It's just a rod. No star, wings, anything! Can you still use the Sakura cards? Have you tried reforming it?"

I just shook my head. "I don't know how to reform it and I'm afraid I'll break the…rod if I try. I thought that as long as I have this much I still have a chance at fixing it. As for the cards, I don't know if I can still use them. I doubt it though."

"I see. In that case, I-I'll protect you," Shaoran went red as he said that. "I did it before in Tomoeda and even when you came to Hong Kong with your family and I'll do it again." His eyes were gazing into mine burning with his passion, determination, and duty.

I sat down next to him and rested my hand on his arm—his skin blazed beneath my hand. I smiled and said, "Thank you, Shaoran-kun."

He started stuttering. "Y-Y-You're…N-N…" In the end he had to look away to say anything straight. "Anytime, Sakura."

After that we sat next to each other in silence enjoying the breeze. The rustle of grass blowing in the wind was relaxing. Summer vacation was seemed so short at times like these. I couldn't complain though. Having a whole month off in the summer was a big vacation compared to the small holidays throughout the year. "It's too bad summer vacation is over in a week or so…" I voiced my thoughts.

"Summer's only half way over, Sakura."

"What?"

"Don't you know? Summer vacation in Hong Kong is July and August. Now that I think about it, you started high school back April, but here in Hong Kong the first term starts in September."

"W-What?! The school year hasn't even started?"

"Yup."

That was not what I wanted to hear. I felt like curling up in the grass and crying. All those math tests… Something must have been off on my face because Shaoran started to worry.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Everything is just fine." Inside I was sinking faster than the Titanic. I was feeling worse and worse about keeping my school transfer from Shaoran. Convincing myself it's for the best Shaoran doesn't know was becoming a weak argument. The guy had just dedicated himself to protecting me minutes before! If something were to happen to me while in Hong Kong and Shaoran somehow found out…

Shaoran lifted my eyes to his, "You know you tell me anything, don't you?"

"I do."

Before Shaoran could press the topic and get me to spill my guts, Meilin came running across the courtyard—probably from the doors in the main room. Her hair was flying around her like Medusa's snakes as she ran as fast as she could. "Shaoran! Kinomoto-san! Finally I found you." Meilin was out of breath when she stopped in front of us. She must have been running through the whole property trying to find us. "Shaoran. The black car that's been going around this part of town is on our street!"

"The stalker car is here?!" Meilin nodded.

"And Daidouji-san is one of the people driving it! She must have been looking for Kinomoto-san! It took me so long to find you that she's probably here by now."

My sinking ship of a life lifted hearing that Tomoyo is here. "Can you take me to see her, Meilin-chan?"

"Of course I'm going to take you to her! Why do you think I came to find you?!" I swear, Meilin is a needle to my balloon. She motioned to follow her, "Come on!"

As I followed the Li cousins Meilin started questioning Shaoran.

"_What were you two doing all the way out there anyway?"_

_"Talking."_

_"Is that your final answer?"_

_"If I stuck to any other answer, I'd be lying."_

_"You are a stick in the mud. Nothing happened? Really?"_

_"Yes, Meliin. Nothing happened."_

Meilin was digging for something that wasn't there so I stopped listening and focused on Tomoyo being here. She must have been searching for me ever since I fell. Did she search the whole city or did she see what specific area I fell in? She must have been so worried. And who was with her? There are her bodyguards but they're always nearby so people tend to not count them—Meilin and Shaoran stopped walking once we got to the main room causing me to bump into them. Melin turned around.

"Pay attention to where you're walking and those around you, Kinomoto-san! One of these days you're going to walk into the wrong person," she crossed her arms as if she were lecturing a child about crossing the road. "Isn't one near death experience enough for you? None of us would be able to stand it if we actually lost you."

I saw Shaoran give Meilin a glare so cold _I_ got chills.

Someone giggled. "I see things here haven't changed much," Tomoyo said. She was sitting in a chair across from the door. The other people she had been with were sitting on a couch surrounded by all of Shaoran's sisters. Onii-chan and Yukito.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Tomoyo ran over to embrace me like her long lost child.

"I'm so glad we finally found you. Don't you ever worry me like that again, Sakura-chan."

"I promise, Tomoyo-chan."

"What's _he _doing here with Sakura?" Oni-chan said pointedly. He glared/stared at Shaoran and Shaoran did the same back.

"He lives here," Tomoyo said calmly.

Onii-chan got off the couch—the sisters were sad—never taking his eyes off of Shaoran. "You mean my little sister has been staying in the same house as _him_?!" His glare deepened. "If I found out you did anything to scare or hurt Sakura, I'll kill you." There was no hesitation or falsehood in his voice. Onii-chan was taking things to far again.

Meilin started to put Onii-chan back in line before I could. "Shaoran hasn't done anything to your sister! In fact he didn't even know Sakura was here until this afternoon! Any accusation you make will have nothing to back it up since all they did was talk on the deck." There was a hidden message in her tone saying she was disappointed with that.

"You expect me to believe the brat didn't even know she was here? Even he's not _that_ dense."

Shaoran must have felt the need to defend his honour. "I was visiting my grandmother all week. I just got back today."

"Whatever. Sakura, come on. We're leaving so say goodbye to all your friends and this brat if you feel the need," Onii-chan practically stormed out of the house. Losing never did go over well with him.

"Touya, wait!" Yukito sighed getting up—the sisters were even sadder. On his way out of the room he bowed to Shaoran and Meilin, "I'm sorry about Touya. Thank you and your family for taking care of Sakura."

I sighed. "We better go before Onii-chan gets impatient." Tomoyo giggled.

"Yes, let's."

Tomoyo, Meilin, Shaoran, and I all bowed as equals. "Thank you for all you've done, Li-kun, Meilin-chan. I am in your debt." Tomoyo said.

Meilin waved her hands in front of her. "Don't be silly, Daidouji-san. You don't owe us anything. It was our family's duty to take care of the card mistress and our friend." Shaoran nodded.

My turn. "Thank you, Shaoran-kun, Meilin-chan. This was a fun day. I hope we can see each other soon."

"We'll have to see you again just to check and make sure you're okay," Meilin joked. "We'll miss you."

"Goodbye, Sakura," Shaoran said. He looked so sad as I walked out the door with my friends and family. It was as if he thought this was the last time we would see each other ever. Seeing that face I vowed I would keep in contact. Even if he never returned my letters.

_I'm so so so so sorry for the wait with this chapter. The wait for the next chapter shouldn't be nearly as bad as this one. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do in this chapter for…a while but I know exactly what I want to happen in the next one. The avatar finale had me distracted and my head filled with Zutara story ideas that I couldn't focus well, but after writing out two scenes in my head I got Zutara out of my system for the moment. I love Zuko but tormenting him is so fun XD_

_Kelso (Send me a review with your thoughts! I love them!!)_


	6. Stressful Beginnings

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

**(….) my thoughts and or comments.**

The first day of school as a new kid. Not only a new kid but a transfer student. It's the day every kid looks forward to in their life. After all, nothing clears the sinuses like a room full of judging eyes and already made assumptions with matching rumours. For all I new the kids in this Chinese school thought Tomoyo and myself were attached at the hip and duller than a new pencil.

With all that waiting for us beyond these classrooms door, now seemed to be the best time to be lost in the past. Maybe with some luck I'd stay there. If magic was real then why not?

Not the best idea. I shuddered thinking of the day Tomoyo and I had been reunited.

It appeared that while I was gone Tomoyo hadn't just been looking for me. To make a long story short: I walked into the door of mine and Tomoyo's apartment and I didn't recognize anything. The flooring was the same but it had been polished to the point it became a mirror. I had to do a double take when I realized that.

My room was no longer bare. In fact it was eerily similar to my room back home in Japan.

Tomoyo's was a different story. Quite frankly it startles me every time I walk in. Pictures from all of my adventures with the clow cards and Eriol were plastered on every available surface. Dresser, headboard, bulletin boards, you name it. There was one wall that was preserved for Tomoyo to project her movies onto.

I still don't understand where she installed that projector. The movies just seem to come from the opposite wall itself.

Touya and Yukito were there through their own transfer. Things were already looking…colourful.

'Onii-chan? How come you and Yukito-san are in Hong Kong too?'

'We're here to make sure you don't get yourself into trouble! It's a good thing too! How long were planning on staying with that brat?'

'Until Tomoyo found me…?' I squeaked.

'What?! And what if she never came?!' The volcano erupted.

'Sakura would have lived happily ever after with the Li clan leaving me to fend for myself on the streets,' Kero muttered in Tomoyo's bag. Said bag owner giggled while I blushed.

'What was that?' Touya said.

'W-What was what?' I said. The situation was getting tenser with each thought voiced.

'A squeaky voice. What are you hiding?'

Yukito sensed this conversation was starting to dance on the line of secrets between us siblings and intervened

. 'Calm down, Touya. If you're not careful you'll scare Sakura off, and then what'll you do?' Touya stopped to consider this. 'Besides, Sakura's here and she's safe. You shouldn't live in what-ifs. If you do you'll ruin yourself.

'Why don't we head over to our apartment and forget about this. Then tomorrow the four of us can go out and celebrate." Thank Clow for Yukito and Yue!

There was reluctance in Touya as he spoke. 'Fine. On one condition. You _never_ see that kid again.'

My insides shriveled.

'Okay.'

That one word cleared so much in my mind. This sudden clarity was far from good. Take someone who'd been stomped on by an elephant and that was how good this was.

With the clarity came a nagging voice. Constantly questioning my actions and how they affected others or what effect they would have. I decided to name her the hag.

Unlike me, Touya was satisfied with my answer. The faith and trust he had in me didn't waver. 'Good. If you need anything, Yuki and I are in apartment 1136. I'll see you tomorrow, Kaijuu.'

'Room 1136, got it. See you tomorrow, Onii-chan.' They were on the floor below us.

The pair left and I was in Tomoyo's embrace.

'I can't do it, Tomoyo-chan. He was so broken. Always and I never saw. Everyone. Always broken. Always because of me, and I never saw. Because of me.' I sobbed my throat raw and Tomoyo stood there through it all. Even though what I spoke didn't make sense I hoped somehow she would understand what I had begun to realize.

Somehow she did.

I had suddenly seen it all so clearly. I was always hurting someone or putting them in danger. Shaoran had always saved me even at the risk of his life. I had always let Tomoyo come to card captures without an argument—those things were so dangerous! All those times I'd disappeared or left Touya with The Mirror.

How had I never realized? Could someone really be that oblivious?

My epiphany got to the point where all I heard was Touya's condition and my response. All I could see Shaoran's face as I left his house earlier that day. Both of them played along side each other.

The thought of not seeing Shaoran now that he was so close made me feel dead. While seeing Shaoran could destroy Touya's trust in me.

_You realize what's going to happen, don't you?_ The hag said.

'I'm going to break one of them or leave the other in pieces,' I answered out loud.

Kaijuu.

That clarity hadn't left me yet. It made the thought of stepping into that class harder than it would have been years ago.

But over the last month the hag, my new clarity, and I have begun to learn how to coexist. The hag, I found out, was similar to Meilin. It was loud, sure of itself, perceptive, and not afraid to belittle me. She definitely made life interesting.

"We have two new students, class." That was our cue. Tomoyo and I opened the class door and walked in.

A pen dropped in the class.

"May I introduce—"

Someone stood and slammed their hands on their desk. "Daidouji-san?! Kinomoto-san?!"

It was Meilin. Next to her in the back row was Shaoran, a pen on the floor next to his desk.

Can't say I saw this coming. Score one for the universe. It sure got me this time.

"You four know each other? That makes things easier. Kinomoto and Daidouji, you will sit in front of the Li's.

"Li's, you will act as guides for these girls. It will be your job to make sure they learn the ways of the school and class, and make sure they aren't having troubles communicating and understanding. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Yes, sir."

It was funny. For some reason the class gave Meilin and Shaoran their space. All the desks around them were empty. Meeting Shaoran's eyes, I had an idea of why that was.

Before I could ensure my safety and sit in front of Meilin, Tomoyo snagged the seat. The two looked like they were planning something. Now that I thought about it, they had that look on their face a lot during fifth grade and sixth grade summer.

Sitting in that seat in front of Shaoran sealed the deal on my day of hell.

All day I could feel a burning glare on my back. It made me feel like I was in fourth grade again. I sat there half expecting Shaoran to yell at me for possession of the clow cards, just like old times.

Didn't happen. Scary thing is that I would have preferred that.

At lunch I spared his wrath by Meilin. She forcefully dragged him away; Shaoran was glaring in my general direction the whole time. If I'd learned anything during my time with those two it was that Shaoran was in for a massive lecture. If you could call it that.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'm sure Meilin-chan will keep Li-kun in check," Tomoyo said to sooth my nerves.

"You're right, Tomoyo-chan. In fact, I'll bet that when they come back things will be much better!" I said with sudden enthusiasm. Universe two, Sakura zero.

When Shaoran came back he was just as angry if not angrier than before. For the remainder of the day a forest burned to ashes on my back. With nothing left alive to shield me, I would fall to whatever hurricane of fury, he would unleash on me. The worst part was I didn't even know why he was angry.

_I'm sure you'll find out soon enough_, the hag chimed in. _Everything comes out in the end_. I didn't doubt that.

And come the end of school, the hag was right. But, I guess spouting commonly correct words of wisdom helped.

The class was peaceful as I packed my bag. I could understand most of their conversations. I had to concentrate but I could do it.

"Sakura, I want to talk to you outside." Shaoran didn't sound angry. He seemed colder and suspicious.

"Sure, Shaoran-kun. I'll be out there when I'm done packing." He nodded and walked off with Meilin.

I picked my bag up and walked out of the class with Tomoyo. "This is going to be bad, isn't it?" I sighed.

"Not necessarily. He didn't seem nearly as angry as before. I'm sure he has a good reason for everything he wants to say.

"There's Meilin-chan. She must be here to take us to where you're going to talk to Shoaran."

"Don't be a secluded location. Don't be a secluded location. Don't be a secluded location." I even crossed my fingers for good luck.

It was a secluded location. Figures. It was the lunch area to be exact.

All was quiet except for the rustling of trees in the autumn breeze. All around us were fantastic shades of red, orange, and yellow. There was even a little green. Shaoran was sitting amidst them all on the edge of a picnic table. The scene was so serene that it melted my heart.

"Oi! Shaoran! Everyone's here now get the information you want," Meilin yelled running to him.

She looked to me. "Why are you still standing here? Do you think Shaoran's here to talk to Daidouji-san? No offense, Daidouji-san."

Tomoyo smiled gently. "None taken."

"Well? Get going!" Meilin shoved me forward.

"Hoooee!"

_'He was really sad when you left that day. Keep that in mind.'_ Meilin whispered in my ear as she pushed me.

I landed right next to him. "H-Hi, Shaoran-kun. How was your day?"

"Fine. What are you still doing in Hong Kong? You should be in school in Japan."

"I told you that I needed to get away from Tomoeda. My reason for being her hasn't changed." Maybe I should have told him I was transferring to a school in Hong Kong last time I saw him. That would have saved me this conversation.

"I know that. But the person hunting you found you here! Why transfer to a school here when you're doomed either way?!" I cringed. Ouch Shaoran. Just ouch.

"Why didn't you at least tell me you were here? I said I would protect you but I can't do that if I don't know where you are! Why?!"

I gave him my honest answer. "…You never asked." That made him stop.

The silence dragged on. I could here Tomoyo and Meilin fidgeting somewhere behind me. "U-Umm…Shaoran-kun? Are you—" Did he just make a noise? That noise was followed by laughter.

My jaw dropped. He was laughing? I couldn't remember hearing him laughing like this. Shaoran doesn't laugh. Was he broken?

I started rambling. "Don't worry, Shaoran-kun! I'll find someway to fix you! I'll do that even if it's the last thing I do! Someday you'll be the Shaoran-kun everyone knows again!" He just laughed harder.

I got frantic. What do I do? How do you fix a friend?!

Whether for support due to lack of air or for some other reason I don't know. But all of a sudden I was in Shaoran's embrace. My breathing stopped and his laughter slowed. "Such an obvious answer. I should have known that Sakura wouldn't hide something to try to hurt someone."

He pulled back slightly so we were nose to nose. (Insert Meilin and Tomoyo fangirl spasms) His gaze captured mine but I was still so aware of close his lips were to mine. If I were to just lean forward a little…

"By the way Sakura." I felt my cheeks flush as I snapped out of my not so innocent thoughts. "I wasn't broken. But if you ever plan on stopping someone from laughing, there are two things you should know. One: That's mean. Two: Running and rambling like a chicken with it no head doesn't help at all." I turned redder.

Shaoran must have become aware of how close our faces were. His eyes dipped down towards my lips then became almost as read as I was.

"Aww, how cute. Seems my little cousin has a special friend," a young female voice said from a tree branch next to us.

She wore a purple version of Shaoran's green robes without a symbol on the front under a long cloak. The same cloak my attacker had worn. She had beautiful long black hair worn up in a style similar to Yulan Li. Eye make-up made her ruby eyes pop and red lip gloss brought out her lips. I could see two swords shimmering under her cloak, tied by a trailing yellow obi.

She was beautiful. At the same time she looked familiar.

Shaoran threw me behind his back and took a defensive stance.

How'd she get so close without Shaoran or me noticing? "What does she mean cousin." Shaoran looked over to Meilin and back failing to understand anything.

"The only cousin I have is Meilin." Meilin and Tomoyo met up with us after seeing Shaoran's eyes roam to them.

"That's where you're wrong, Little Cousin. It doesn't surprise me that you don't know who I am. Why would the Li clan teach the younger ones about a banished member of the family? A stain on the family tree: Li Chun," she said bitterly.

"She sounds like she really hates your family, Shaoran-kun," I whispered to him.

"Ya."

"Enough talking! Prepare to be banished from this world!" She whipped her right arm from under the cloak palm facing us. She smirked. "Goodbye forever." A light flashed towards us from her hand.

The light filled my eyes and the world vanished before me.

_If you're still reading this story, I am so sorry for being __horrible at keeping promises for chapters. I'm just not going to promise anything anymore, that way no one is disappointed…I hope. I am working on the next chapter right now so, ya. _

_**Notes:**__ I am completely falling in love with Li Chun. I have this whole background worked up for her. She is a total BAMF. _

_I am not torturing Sakura! She's just one of those characters that need to open their eyes to the world and, dare I say it, grow up. I think I'm pretty well done with extreme angst for her._

_I'm done. If you read this you can leave now :P __**Please review! I love hearing what all of you have to say!**_


	7. Confessions Of A Dream

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or smurfs. Can't say I'm sorry for not owning them though ^^;

Confessions In A Dream

_There's no place like home there's no place like home._

Whenever I imagined being sealed from the living world I never expected it to be like this. I expected something dark. A vast empty space where I float for eternity. Basically the exact opposite of what I was looking at.

The world I was seeing was a page straight out of Alice and Wonderland. I started having flashbacks of The Little card capture. I shivered, that was easily one of the most terrifying days of my life.

Giant mushrooms all around, trees twice as tall as said mushrooms. They were beautiful but surreal. I could touch them and they would feel real to my hand but something was off about them. Now that I was actually concentrating on my surroundings, I noticed that the whole world gave off the feeling. Let me tell you, this feeling did not say, "Welcome to Happy Fairy La-La Land! Let us all join hands and sing in joyous welcome!"

Suddenly I really missed my friends. They would know what to do. I was better at the everyday things; it's everyone else who has read the great magical survival handbook. I myself hadn't gotten past the cover.

I made a fist and hit it into my other hand. The time for moping was over! Now was the time to prove what I could do. If I wasn't doing it for anyone else then I would do it for me.

"Everything will definitely be alright," I repeated my comfort phrase.

If I were everyone else, what would I do? Tomoyo would encourage me to come up with my own plan while dropping me hints. She knew way too much for her own good. Meanwhile, Shaoran and Meilin would try to find a way out of this world. Neither plan sounded like a winner.

"I'll just walk around. That makes more sense than blasting the sky with magic or attacking anything deemed suspicious senseless."

It wasn't long after I started walking through the giant mushrooms that I heard a rustling in the grass. Have I mentioned that the grass reached my knees? Well it does and the itching was a definite draw back to my school uniform's skirt.

Curiosity got the better of me and I went to see what was hidden. "Don't be a cat or praying mantis. I don't think I can handle another encounter like that," I said under my breath as I parted the grasses. The opening in the grasses revealed, Meilin?

"What is Meilin-chan doing?" I asked myself.

"I'm looking for smerfs! What do you think I'm doing, Kinomoto-san?!" I felt that now wasn't the best time to bring up the fact that if I knew what she was doing, I wouldn't have bothered asking. "The answer is trying to find a way home! There's no way I'm staying in this twisted place any longer!" She started digging through grass again.

Why did I have to get paired with Meilin? She has the power to make me feel like a gnat just by looking at me. Though I did find it funny that I've gotten in her way multiple times, stolen her fiancée, forced her be my tour guide in Hong Kong, and many other things but she chose now to be snippy with me.

Or maybe she was always snippy. What kind of work is snippy anyway?

"Why are you standing there? Make yourself useful and help me!" Meilin shouted from somewhere beneath the grass. It seemed to devour her.

"Right," I smiled to Meilin. True, digging through the grass wouldn't help us but it made Meilin feel better. She didn't like feeling useless and if searching pointlessly helped then I would do it too.

The two of us went on like this for hours, I assumed it had been hours since the sun had barely moved. We searched inch after inch until Meilin finally declared that we could have a break. Thank the Lord! Even Olympic athletes would have needed a break by that point. Then again they also would have done this and a training session.

"As strange as this place is, you have to admit, it's beautiful," I said looking at the sky. There was no sun.

"How do you do it?" Meilin stared into my eyes. "How do you keep smiling?"

"Huh?" That was sudden.

"No matter what mess we get into you always smile and have this cheerful aura about you. I don't understand how you can do it."

I couldn't help but laugh and smile at her. "It's because I know everything will definitely be okay. It always has been, hasn't it?"

"Hmm, I guess you're right. Still, I think you'll have to be happy for the both of us." She stood up and pointed at me with one hand on her hip. It was a stance that made me nervous. One wrong move on either of our parts and I'd be out an eye. "That's your new job. Can you do that, Kinomoto-san?"

"Y-Yes, sir. I cowered under her stare.

There was a crackle sounding from somewhere close by. Meilin abandoned her power stance over me and looked towards the sound.

"Shaoran! Hurry and get up, Kinomoto-san! We might lose him!"

I stumbled after her into the trees and mushrooms. "Lose who?"

"Shaoran."

"How do you know it's Shaoran-kun?"

"That's the sound of Shaoran's raitai shourai attack. I'd know it anywhere." Like a search dog?

Sure enough Shaoran was there on the opposite side of the opposite side of the trees. He was kumping up a path of mushrooms and firing at the sky when he reached the tallest. After firing he landed on the ground near Tomoyo and started again.

"Shaoran!" Meilin called enthusiastically.

Shaoran looked at the two of us, blushed, and stumbled in the air only to go hurtling to the earth below.

Meilin started dragging me again as she ran over to the crash site. "Shaoran?! Are you okay?" She yelled the whole way.

Shaoran got up slowly. Looks like the fall hurt more than he was willing to let on. "Ugh…What was that for? You could have killed me."

Meilin bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Shaoran. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you."

"She's right, Shaoran-kun. But you wouldn't have been in any danger if you weren't attacking the sky," I pointed out. I felt so smart. "Why were you going that anyway?"

"Li-kun was convinced that he could make a weak point in this world and we could escape. He believed the sky felt like the weakest point in this world," Tomoyo filled in.

I called it.

"I wasn't having much luck," he admitted reluctantly.

"Me neither," Meilin shared.

"So that leaves the sky and ground inescapable. Looks like we're stuck," I worked through out loud. I smiled.

"Why are you so happy about that?! We're stuck here alone, with no food, and we don't know if we're in danger!" Meilin burst out.

"At least we have each other. Li-san could have banished us to separate places," I explained.

"Besides, Li-kun and I have yet to see another living being. Have either of you?"

We shook our heads.

"I see. If we're going to be stuck here, we should find food," Shaoran said. "I'll go hunt for something. There has to be a river around here." He ran off in the direction me and Meilin had come from.

"Wait! Shaoran-kun!" I ran after him. For some reason he didn't stop to let me catch up. "There's no river over there!" He didn't change his direction either.

I ran deep into the trees but I still couldn't find him. There were only more trees. The forest seemed to expand around me until Shaoran jumped down from the trees above.

"Shaoran-kun! Why didn't you wait for me back there?"

"Wasn't it a great idea? Now we can have some times to talk alone." He genuinely smiled. He was so happy and proud but I couldn't stop myself from saying my next words.

"We could have had plenty of time to talk if you hadn't stopped sending letter," I said sadly. I couldn't look at his face.

"I never stopped. You did."

That was the most childish things I had ever heard him say. Even worse was the fact that he sounded dead serious. Did he think that I didn't have a brain? Did he really think so little of me?

"How could you say that?! One week your letters came and the next they didn't. The phone calls stopped and I could never get through to your house whenever I tired to call!" I'd never felt this combination of fury and sorrow before. The tears were streaming down my face and at the same time I couldn't stop myself from shouting.

"The same happened on my end, Sakura!"

Shaoran held my face up so I had no choice but to look into his eyes. They told me he was feeling pain just like I was. The emotion there quickly flickered to his usual determination as he made up his mind.

"Why would I stop sending letters to you? It ripped my heart out when all the Clow cards were transformed into Sakura cards, when your letters stopped, and when you left my house last month. It was as if half of my life was missing whenever you weren't there.

"The whole time we were apart I never stopped thinking about you! Not even for a second! I love you Sakura! Can't you see that? I love you more than my own life!" He said it with such passion.

I started crying.

"You do?"

"Yes! Every moment you're in any danger I drown in my own worry. I might ie inside if I ever lost you," he said softly. His face was so red.

I embrace him. "I love you too, Shaoran-kun."

When I looked up into his eyes I was locked in like always. This time Shaoran changed it up. He brought his face closer to mine until I could feel his breathe on my lips.

He's making sure this is what I want. That's what my instinct was telling me about his pause. Without a doubt I knew that this was what I wanted and I answered his question by bringing my lips to his.

It was like fireworks exploded inside me. Little wings had sprouted from the heel of my shoes and were flying me towards the sky. I was in complete and total bliss.

The kiss, my first kiss. I couldn't have imagined a better one. It was gentle and sweet and left me feeling full. My butterflies and I wanted nothing more than for this moment to go on forever as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"We have to go find food, you know," I said softly.

"Meilin and Daidouji can wait. They don't have anywhere to go," he said just as soft.

I giggled at how alike our thoughts were. Were all first kisses like this or was it just us?

But alas, all bits of heaven must end. I just wished the snake around my ankle had chosen someone else to bother.

I grunted in pain as it constricted around my leg. Then it bared it fangs and moved to bite me. Reacting instantly, I kicked it away and screamed.

Shaoran took his sword and stabbed it. The snake writhed as life left it. Its mouth hung open during death letting you see the venom dripping from its fangs.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Shaoran asked.

"I am," I told him shakily. That figured. Shaoran tells me he'd be devastated if he lost me and I almost die. You fates are so funny. So not.

"Shaoran seemed to focus hard on our surroundings. Sensing things, I guessed. "I don't like the idea of being separated from the others. We should get back as quickly as possible; something isn't right about this place."

"I agree. Lead the way."

Strange things happen in strange places. The field where I found Meilin digging in was gone. Instead there was a river. A river full of fish big enough to feed two people per. At least.

Octopus like creatures in said river that try to drown you are very wrong. Not to mention very scary.

Wet and mildly freaked out after my encounters with the snake and octopus creature, I walked closely next to Shaoran and our haul. Funny thing happened while I did that. I fell in a whole and sprained my ankle. This was not my day.

Now limping, wet, and freaked out, I tried making light conversation. "Isn't it unusual how we've been gone for hours but it hasn't gotten any darker? And that there's light but no sun?"

Shaoran made a sound of agreement. "It is weird. It's also weird that you've suddenly been in so much danger. Do you think it's that woman?"

"I don't know. Could she manipulate this place without actually being here?" I pondered.

"Which way do we go? We can't be too far from the others now."

"I'll check. Watch the fish and water." Shaoran jumped to the tree tops.

The forest was very beautiful and, dare I say it, peaceful when nothing was trying to kill me. I could almost imagine a life for me here. You could probably make a cabin out of a single tree.

Does Shaoran really climb to the top of those things? They're huge. Can Meilin climb them too? She must be able to. The two went through the same training.

A little voice interrupted my idle thoughts. "How many times have I told you not to go in there?"

"I'm sorry, Papa Smurf. Curiosity got the best of me," another said.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know, Tracker."

"You're right. Now hurry, we have to save Smurfette. She's was caught by her alto-ego self in the tree cavern." The little voices trailed off.

That right there put everything that had happened so far into the kind of normal area. Confessions, mysterious switching landscapes, lack of sun or moon. All of it was beat by the little people in the grass.

Why was the ground shaking? Earthquakes were not supposed to happen off of the earth. The world was bending and shaking along with the ground. It was like looking through smoke over a fire.

The leaves were falling from the trees and mushrooms shriveled. As the world died around me I say a glimpse of the darkened sky. As the world died, night had finally fallen.

As the leaves fell around me from the sky I saw something glitter as it shot towards me. The light like senbon flew into my chest. "Uugh!" I cried out. A sharp pain traveled through my body like a sudden change. Just as quickly as the pain and light had appeared, it was gone. Disappeared somewhere in my body.

I didn't have time to think about what it was. When the pain cleared from my vision I saw Shaoran diving from the tree top. He reached out his arm to reach me and shouted my name. Before he could reach me I blinked and found myself where Chun Li had attacked. The other three were waking up around me while True-Form Kero and Yue stood close by. It sounded like they were arguing.

"That was a foolish move. No doubt the authorities are on their way here to investigate a pack of loose lions," Yue said.

"I didn't see you coming up with any ideas about how to wake them!" Kero shouted back. "I just used the loudest thing I had."

"You're right. You're mouth is ridiculously loud. I'll be sure to get a muzzle for you."

"Kero-chan? Yue-san?" I said.

"What was that world we were in before? And how did we get back? I thought Li-san was the only one with the power to bring us back," Tomoyo said in a very confused manner.

"What world? You were all trapped in an illusion. Your bodies have been lying here the whole time," Kero explained.

Yue was getting impatient. "We don't have time for this now. All of you get up and leave here. We'll be discovered if we stay much longer," he said.

All the pain I'd felt was gone. My ankle wasn't sprained and the pain from the light senbon had stopped echoing. Had that all really been an illusion? All other illusions I had ever been in felt like a dream. This one had felt just as real as reality.

Why had I almost died? Who cut off communication between Shaoran and I and why? A nagging sensation about the whole situation today never left me on the run home and through out the next two weeks.

If I had thought things were strange this time around, then I would be blown out of my mind for the next happening in my life.

Can't Card Captors ever get a break?

----------------

**Preview With Meilin And Tomoyo**

"That's it?! I dig around in the dirt and look like an idiot! That is not the screen time I want. Hmm, but then again I did get more screen time and lines then you did, Daidouji-san….Daidouji-san?

"What are you reading? Letters? How old are these? Who were you writing to that the letter took _that_ long to get here? Hiiragizawa-san?! How long have you been exchanging letters with and does anyone else know?!"

"Sakura-chan and I have both been exchanging letters with Hiiragizawa-kun for a long time now."

"Let me read that! Interesting predicament….visit….me updated. You've got to be kidding me!"

-------------------

_So there's the end of this and a little preview like thing. I'm sure a lot of you we're probably waiting for the confession and here it is. For some reason I don't see Shaoran just saying his feelings randomly, I see him needing some sort of motivation. Thus I created one that ties into the plot. Until next time!_


	8. The Grass Is Always Greener

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS. No movie, doll, card. Nothing.

The Grass Is Always Greener

"Okay, Sakura! Time to climb your pyramid!"

"Hai!"

It had been nearly two weeks since our encounter with Chun Li. My friends and I had come up with three possible reasons for her disappearance.

Option A: She thought we were still captured in her illusion. Not likely. She seemed toowell connected to not know we escaped.

Option B: The four of us stunned her into an early retirement from evil with our daring escape and survival in the illusion. That was shot down instantly. After all, we were talking about the same person who kicked me to the curb in a battle. Only letting me go after I was separated from Tomoyo and Kero and on the brink of death.

Our last idea seemed the most plausible. Chun Li had hidden her spiritual presence in order to regroup. As we lived on happily she was planning her next move against me and the longer she stayed hidden we could only assume that her plan became all that much more dangerous for us.

I did a back flip on to the shoulders of two other girls in order to be the point. "Yatta!" The other members of the cheer quad had no idea what that meant since none were taking Japanese.

"You're a natural, Sakura-chan!" The cheer squad's coach congratulated.

The idea that Chun could put me in more danger than I was already in was unsettling.

After a day to think things over and talk to Yue, Kero had concluded that Chun had created not just an illusion but another world on its own. The world was connected to our every thought and reacted accordingly. When Shaoran had wanted a river to get fish, a river appeared. Meilin made a comment about smurfs which caused them to exist. The same went for the lack of night until the very end.

We still had no idea as to why I was the one being targeted specifically though. Also, Yelan, the clan elders, and all those who held power within the Li clan refused to tell us who Chun Li was and why she was hunting me in the first place.

If we had only had someone who could sway them to see it our way.

On the field in front of the squad was the boy's soccer team Shaoran was a part of. I was surprised to hear that someone had somehow managed to convince Shaoran to be team captain. Right now it looked like a scene was unfolding between Shaoran and two of the other players.

The two boys were talking about something and ever comment they made on the subject was making Shaoran angry.

"Alright, girls. Let's move on to the batons," the coach blew her whistle. The eight of is in the cheer squad ran over to the benches to grab our batons and have some water.

Along with Chun's motives remaining a mystery, I still hadn't found a way to restore the staff. Kero and Yue had been just as puzzled as I was. This meant I was left completely dependent on Shaoran and the others for protection. It wasn't something I was used to.

"Aargh!" Shaoran growled before kicking a soccer ball into the net. The ball was just a blur as it shot past his two teammates, effectively startling them out of their conversation. "You'd better hope I never catch you guys near her," Shaoran threatened before walking to another section of the field.

It was hard to tell from a distance but the two guys looked pretty freaked out. I didn't blame them. Shaoran can have that effect on people. It was when they looked towards me that I became confused. Had they been talking about me this whole time?

The remaining soccer team and the other cheer girls all cringed in fear as Shaoran sent a soccer ball across the field straight into the net. The ball had gained so much momentum that it spun against the net for a few seconds.

He turned around to glare at his team. They all stepped away from Shaoran. "Practice is over!" He growled. The boys all visually relaxed as Shaoran walked away. Meanwhile, the cheer girls all squeaked as he walked in our direction.

"Relax, girls! There's nothing he can do to you," The coach said. "Unless of course, one of you were commenting…positively on his girlfriend," she teased. Everyone immediately looked at me causing me to blush.

"Is your practice almost done, Sakura?" Everyone knew he really wanted to say, 'I can't stand being here anymore. Don't make me leave alone.'

I looked to our coach to get the okay to leave.

She nodded. "Practice is almost finished. You won't miss anything major if you leave. Just don't make a habit of this, alright?"

"Hai! Of course, Coach-san!" Even though I spoke and read Chinese everyday I still used Japanese honourifics. They were a habit drilled in so well that I couldn't shake them. Luckily some of my classmates knew what they meant and would clear up any confusion. Meilin always jumped at the chance to show off her knowledge.

"Let's go, Shaoran," I grinned at him. He offered a small smile. "Just as soon as we change back into our uniforms," I added as an afterthought.

As we walked away I could hear many of the girls release a breath. Yes. Shaoran definitely had that effect on people when he was in a foul mood. There was a hidden instinct that told you to keep your distance from him when he was like that. Constantly muttering, 'He's a threat. Stay away."

_Do you think that when you see Shaoran angry?_ The hag whispered from the back of my mind.

I shook my head. I've never thought that when he was angry. Instead I wanted to be by his side through it all. It's when you feel like that that you need the people close to you most of all.

I realized how me shaking my head at my thoughts must have looked and looked at Shaoran. He was too busy focusing on the oncoming sidewalk to have noticed. He did, however, feel my eyes on him.

"Bai and Guiren are idiots. They have no control over the words that come over their mouths," he said. Bai and Guiren must have been the boys Shaoran kicked a ball at.

"What did they say?"

Shaoran paused. I thought for sure he wasn't going to answer. Shaoran's body language was something I was slowly picking up on. But he surprised me.

"They said…" Shaoran blushed as he trailed off. Was what they said really that bad?

"You don't have to tell me if it's difficult, Shaoran-kun."

"Thanks."

"Of course, Shaoran-kun."

We walked in comfortable silence for a couple blocks. The air had cooled down a lot since I had first come to Hong Kong. It wouldn't be long until I had to switch my uniform's burgundy skirt for black pants. Soon the girls would all be dressed like the boys.

I was staring at the yellow stripe that went across the bottom of my skirt when Shaoran's hand pulled my face up to his. His tie, which was the same shade as the line on my skirt, fluttered in the breeze.

"What is it, Shaoran-kun?"

"Sakura. Let's do something tomorrow." He barely blushed! Has Shaoran become to confident and calm around me? It was like looking into the face of a majestic prince.

"Y-You mean a date?" My face was beat red. I could feel it.

"What else would I mean?"

We had been 'dating' since we came back from the illusion world but we had yet to go on an actual date. I wanted to say yes so badly. There was just one thing stopping me from answering.

"Don't we have to attend extra classes those days?" (It's Friday) Why did Chinese schools have to be so competitive? Japanese schools were nothing compared to this country.

"I've already cleared this with my mother. It took a while to convince her but I did. As for you, I'm sure you won't mind spending a few hours with me to catch up." He was good. I'd give him that one.

Shaoran stopped in front of my apartment building. "Unless Sakura doesn't want to go out with me." He wore a hurt expression.

"Of course I want to go!" I shouted.

"Then I'll pick you up at noon. Dress casual."

"But what are we doing?"

"It's a surprise." He pulled me into an embrace. Shaoran had to let go quicker then I wanted. There were many old traditional Chinese in this neighborhood that frowned upon PDA.

"Remember! Dress casual!" He shouted walking towards the car parked nearby. I knew Touya would be glaring at Shaoran and the car from his apartment. He always did since the car was there everyday to pick Shaoran up.

"Hai! Tomorrow, Shaoran-kun!"

The car drove away and he was gone.

* * * *

I heard the sound of dripping water and saw the darkness in my mind change into a scene as a body of water rippled. It was the cliff surrounded by cherry trees again. Standing across the large clearing was Shaoran, Yue, and Kero.

Once my eyes landed on them what felt like the grip of shadows grabbed me and my body lunged forward, The Sword activated. My eyes widened when I realized I was attacking. "No!" I tried to scream but the words never reached my mouth.

Shaoran didn't move a muscle as I quickly closed the distance between us. Why wasn't he moving? He would die if he stood there. _I_ would kill him. "Move, Shaoran-kun!" I tried screaming. The only sound I heard was a female laugh.

* * * *

The sun peaked through my curtains and shone onto my face. "Too bright," I muttered. Half asleep I pulled the covers over my head to bring the darkness back. As I tried to bring sleep back to me I vaguely noticed that the area on my chest where the light entered my body stung.

Pulling the covers over my head didn't work out well. After a couple minutes I ran out of oxygen and started to breath in carbon dioxide. The lack of air seemed to make my chest hurt more. Since I _really_ didn't want to die today I forced to pull the covers down again and expose myself to the sunlight.

The digital clock was blaring at me from across the room. It was 11:30. 11:30? I forgot about everything else as I jumped out of bed. Shaoran was going to pick me up in half and hour! Why do I always sleep so much?!

When I jumped out of bed I landed on the school skirt I'd left on the ground and tripped on it when I went to take a step. There was a lot of banging and yelling that followed as I rushed around trying to get ready and Kero yelled at me since I woke him up.

When I walked out of my room I was a complete mess and Kero was grumpily sitting on my shoulder. Tomoyo giggled at the sight from her chair. "You two sure are lively this morning."

"Lively isn't always a good thing," Kero grumbled.

"Be quiet Kero-chan!" I hissed then turned my attention to Tomoyo. "You wouldn't happen to know where Shaoran is taking me today, would you?"

"Not this time." That surprised me. Tomoyo always knew these things. She frowned, "That made it a lot harder to choose the best outfit for your date today." That didn't surprise me.

She jumped up quickly and grabbed my hands. "Follow me Sakura! I have some work to do before Li-kun picks you up!" She picked at my hair and smiled disappointedly at all the knots.

"Looks like I have a good bit of work to do." She giggled then dragged me away to her bedroom.

* * * *

When Tomoyo finished with me, I looked in the mirror and was amazed. She'd applied mascara and eyeliner, something I've never touched before, and the result was like nothing I'd ever seen. Were my eyes always so…present?

My hair had been washed with the skill of a hairdresser. Then she dried it with the hairdryer in a way that it looked like it had dried naturally. Something I appreciated since so many people curl hair or apply so many products like hairspray and mousse. I didn't think my lungs could take that. On the right side of my head Tomoyo had added the sakura hair ornament Yukito had bought for me so many years ago to compliment my chosen outfit.

A Daidouji original is what anyone looking at my top would think. Since we'd arrived in Hong Kong Tomoyo had begun going through a traditional phase. This particular outfit was no exception.

The top was styled after a kimono. Regal purple silk with red and white flowers on vines were transferred onto it. The fabric shone beautifully. For pants, Tomoyo had chosen a pair of black capri pants so that attention wouldn't be taken away from the top, obviously the main focus of the outfit.

"So what do you think?" Tomoyo asked. "It's an outfit to remind you of home."

"I think the clothes beautiful, Tomoyo-chan. If this were a full kimono in the store then it would easy be sold for a high price. And whatever you did to my face really makes my eyes pop. It's like they're greener then before."

"I'm glad you think so highly of it. Now it's time to see if Li-kun feels the same. Though I'm sure he'll feel that way about anything you wear."

I blushed like mad. "W-What do you mean, T-T-Tomoyo-chan? Shaoran's a boy. W-Why would he c-care so much about my, my clothing? D-Don't they usually—

"—What are you looking at?"

While I was busy having an embarrassment attack Tomoyo had walked over to the window.

"I wonder if he'll come up or wait for you to go down," She wondered looking down from the window.

"He's here? How long has he been there?"

"Since you started stuttering," she stated in a matter of fact tone. I blushed at my actions.

"I better go."

"But Sakura!" She said. But I was in the elevator before she or Kero could say anything more.

Once I was outside I could feel their eyes on me. No doubt Kero was watching me because he had nothing else to do. With his video game system broken Kero spent most of his days sleeping and sitting in the kitchen as Tomoyo cooked. My neck prickled like someone was gently rolling a cactus on me.

"Ano…What's wrong Shaoran-kun? Are you feeling alright?" His face was so red and his eyes were like dinner plates. His voice croaked like someone with a sore throat. "Maybe we should wait for another day."

"He started waving his hands in front of him to reject the idea. "No! I-It's just you look stunning today! Like a princess!" he blurted.

I looked down at my feet embarrassed. "Thank you."

We stood like that for a minute. The whole idea of a date was something new to me. I'd had a couple boyfriends in Tomoeda and they had never taken me on a date the way Shaoran was. They were casual get dinners at restaurants. Something inside me always stopped me from getting so involved so the relationships died soon after they started. The relationship with Shaoran was tender and intimate and I had no intentions of leaving him or letting him leave anytime soon.

I was shaken from my thoughts when I heard the dull clicking sound of a car door opening. Looking up, my brain froze as I saw him holding the limo door open for me. "Ready to go, Sakura-hime?"

"H-Hai!" I blushed at the nickname and rushed through the black door. Once I was in Shaoran took a seat across from me. I just stared at my hands as they sat in my lap.

"It'll be a couple minutes before we get there."

"H-Hai." Tension grew in the car since we both didn't know what to say. I suddenly found my thumbs to be _very _interesting. The hag hissed for me to something and started nagging about how it was only going to get harder to say something the longer I stayed quiet.

But before I could open my mouth to say something, Shaoran had beat me to it. "I have something for you," he said. He was blushing and holding a long box in both hands held out to me. I took in gently and opened it.

I couldn't say anything. My mouth fell open in a very unladylike way. On a silver chain there was a star with wings on either side in matching colour. It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever gotten for me. "I take it you like the gift."

I nodded dumbly as the car came to a stop. "Can I put it on you?" I nodded again, this time closing my mouth. His fingers left trails of fire over my skin wherever they touched. "It looks just as I imagined it would. Now let's have some fun."

My face lit up in an instant. Shaoran opened the door and revealed a festival. Some people walked around in kimonos and yukatas while others wore regular clothes. There were so many stands and rides that it would take us more than a day to hit them all. "This festival is going on all day," he smiled.

After a couple hours I almost felt guilty. I don't think anyone there had had nearly as much fun as me and Shaoran. My stomach was sore from all the laughing and food. My head was spinning from the ride we just got off of. We walked away standing close to each other, laughing the whole time.

"What's with that look on your face? What are thinking about, Sakura-hime?" He asked slipping into Japanese.

"I was just thinking about your new name for me. If I'm a princess wouldn't that make you my prince?"

"Not at all. I am just a lowly lord who has been granted the privilege of seeing Hime Heika. (A/N: This should translate to Her Majesty the Princess. Correct me if I'm wrong.) Shaoran bowed to emphasize this.

I held out my hand to him, acting the part. "Then come, Shaoran-dono. If you continue to show me a good time, maybe I'll make you my prince someday." He stood straight for a second to take my hand in his and bowed back down to kiss the back of it.

A crowd had gathered in front of a nearby stand watching us but a majority not understanding the words. Those who spoke Japanese in the crowd smiled at us, enjoying our fun.

Still bowing he spoke loudly so I could hear him. "Nothing would make me happier then to entertain you, Sakura-hime. I am at your beg and call."

"There you two are! How could you have gotten away from us so easily?" Meilin glanced over at Tomoyo. "I think we may be out of practice."

Perfect moment ruined in a second. The crowd seemed to be disappointed at the interruption as well.

"It has been a while since we've done this, hasn't it?" Tomoyo responded. I chose to ignore this.

"What are both of you doing here? Do you need me and Shaoran-dono for something?" I surprised myself and well as everyone, crowd included, by using that suffix out of the act.

"Yes! A few minutes ago Daidouji-san got a call from Fanren saying we need to go home right away," Meilin exclaimed. She seemed really excited about something. The crows kept watching. To them Meilin's interruption must have been a climax to the story.

"Apparently Li-san has something very important to share with us," Tomoyo said.

"Maybe she's decided to tell us about that woman after all!"

Shaoran seemed to be struggling so I stepped up. "We better get going. Do you have a car nearby, Tomoyo-chan?"

"I do. I've already called ahead. The car's ready to go anytime we are."

"Let's go."

Meilin and Tomoyo ran off ahead when I side glanced to Shaoran.

"Are you ready to go, Shaoran-dono?"

"I'm sorry our date had to be interrupted like this. I was hoping that I could give you one day to be normal without worrying about this kind of stuff."

I reached and grabbed his hand. "Don't feel bad. Expect the unexpected. That's what Kero-chan always told me. Besides, I don't mind worrying about these things if Shaoran-dono is with me."

"And will be there as long as Sakura-hime wishes."

I blushed crimson even before I said my next words. "There will never be a day I don't wish for your presence."

The crowd awed at our expressions and words. I knew exactly how this looked to them. It was a story of a forbidden love between a feudal lord and his nation's princess. They cheered as we ran off, hoping that this particular story would have the happy ending every tale of this kind didn't have.

* * * *

Everyone was chatting among themselves in the main room where everyone was gathered. It seemed like a normal day. Shaoran's sisters were teasing him, Meilin was getting in on that action since she had seen most of our date, and Tomoyo and I were sitting on a couch across the room from theirs.

Yue and Kero were standing near the room's entrance looking very much like guardians.

"Ano, Tomoyo-chan. Why are we sitting so far away from the others?"

"It wouldn't be proper for the princess to sit next to the lowly lord." I blushed at her adding onto mine and Shaoran's game. "Imagine what would happen to my princess if her older brother, the crown prince, found out she was slumming? As the lady in waiting, it is my duty to make sure no harm comes to you."

"H-Hoi…?" I said nervously. This was getting a little weird now.

The room became very silent as Yelan and a familiar dark haired boy walked beside her. Surprisingly it wasn't Meilin who broke the silence, it was Kero and Yue. "Clow's here?"

When Tomoyo didn't seem surprised in the least, Meilin looked over at her with accusing eyes. "I _knew_ you were in contact with him!" To which Tomoyo covered her mouth like a lady of the court and laughed quietly.

"It's been a while, Cerberus, Yue, minna-san."

"Eriol-kun. Why aren't you in England with Mizuki-sensei?" I asked quietly from the couch.

"After I received Tomoyo's last letter explaining the latest events in your school yard, I came here to Hong Kong to help all of you." He was just as kind as I remembered. It also seemed that the spell he'd used to keep himself the same age as us back in fifth grade, didn't let him return to his true age when his task was done.

Kind, smart, mysterious, mischievous, sixteen, and, I had to admit, handsome. Any girl would be lucky to have him.

"You look quite wonderful today, Sakura-san," he complimented. My cheeks flamed when he complimented me. Shaoran got angry just like he always would when Eriol spoke.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"We don't need your help," Shaoran muttered.

"Do you think rejecting my help is the best way to express your jealousy, Shaoran-kun?" Eriol smiled. Shaoran turned red and started sputtering incoherently. Watching him made me laugh which made him become redder and sputter more.

"Help?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yes." Shaoran stopped sputtering when Eriol spoke. "Despite the Li clan's belief that your ignorance in this situation would be best, I believe it would be safer for all of you to know the history behind Li Chun-san."

"So Li-san is important to the Li's?" I asked.

"On the contrary, Sakura-san. Her words when she spoke to you were something like, 'I am a stain on the Li family tree,' correct?"

We all nodded.

"Eight years you elder, Li Chun was born into a family in our clan," Yelan began explaining. "Even at such a young age, she showed an unmatched level of skill in creating illusions and distorting reality. Everyone believed without a doubt that she would represent us when she was older." Yelan paused for a moment. "What were your thoughts as you laid eyes on her, Meilin?"

"It was like looking in a mirror," she stated.

"To be expected. She is your elder sister." Everyone's eyes, except for Eriol, widened.

"Meilin-chan has a sister…?" The words were a whisper as I said them.

"That can't be! Okaa-san has never mentioned a sister! I wouldn't forget something like that! I couldn't have…" Meilin looked like she was going to cry.

"When the two of you were living in the same home, you spent very little time with each other. It often made her sad to only see you from afar. Chun longed to play with you instead of being at school and training."

I could see the scene perfectly in my mind. I could see Meilin running around their yard chasing butterflies or whatever caught her interest while Chun was ushered past the yard surrounded by teachers, both for her studies and magic. Surrounded by teachers she wished would disappear so she could make up for all the time with Meilin she'd been forced to give up.

I couldn't help myself. My eyes filled with tears.

"When Shaoran was four and Chun was twelve they were brought to the elders to decide which one would eventually take the position of head. Looking at the skills they had for their age, the elders decided to look into their futures and see where their destinies would lead them.

"In Shaoran's they saw happiness, Clow Cards, and love. Something people would call an ideal life. Chun's was the opposite. Anguish, an all consuming darkness, the need for more power, and resentment towards many.

The answer was obvious. Shaoran would represent us while Chun was cast away in hopes she wouldn't be able to use her abilities therefore preventing the future they saw," She finished.

"Unfortunately, what the elders failed to see or understand was that destiny is a funny thing. By looking into the future of those two children they caused Chun's life to take the turn to darkness," Eriol picked up where Yelan left off.

"Resentment towards her family for disowning and banishing her. A desire for more power to get revenge on those who abandoned her. These lead to the darkness and anguish that consumes her heart.

"A tragic life story, don't you think? It makes you wonder how different her life could have been if different decisions had been made," Eriol said.

Shaoran and Meilin sat it stunned silence.

"…She really _is_ my cousin?" Shaoran asked himself out loud.

"…Onee-chan…" Meilin said that as if she was testing the feel of it on her tongue.

"I didn't think such a thing could have happened," Tomoyo said.

"I think what Li-san needs is friends," I said.

"You're right, Sakura-chan. And you would be the perfect friend to her," Tomoyo agreed.

"No!" Shaoran shouted jumping up from the couch. "She's too dangerous! Have you forgotten that she almost did you in once?!"

"I haven't but still…"

"I heard a saying once. It went, 'If you keep your pain hidden away then the burden of it will continue to grow until it breaks you, but if you share that pain with someone, it becomes lighter and gives you the chance to move on," Tomoyo said.

"That is true in many ways and it's probably what Li Chun-san needs but until we know what her motives are then it's safest Sakura stays away," Eriol agreed with both Tomoyo and Shaoran.

"Until then all we can do is prepare ourselves and wait for her to show herself once again." Eriol's tone made it clear that the discussion was over.

I looked out the window at the sun and moon sitting together in the sky and made a promise. I promised that one day I would help Chun could leave burdens of her past behind and be the best person she could be.

* * * *

**A/N:**_** If anyone knows how Shaoran addresses Eriol please tell me. If you don't I'll have to watch most of the second season again. **_

_I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if Shaoran seemed out of character. _

_ I was constantly changing some of the scenes and I think it turned out pretty good. Of course I value the opinions of my readers more than my own, so write a review and tell me what you think._ _Please review _


	9. Dream A Dream

Dream A Dream

Visualize, I tell myself. I need to visualize the energy taking on a new solid form so that my magic knows what I want it to do. It flows from my hands through to the rod in response. Before anything can change something inside me tips and the energy pools in every direction. It swallows me into its depths like a ball caught in the unyielding current of a whirlpool.

Through clouded eyes I briefly note the grass is waving and coming closer to me. The shock of strong hands from outside the whirlpool brings me back and I realize that the ground wasn't coming closer me. Not for the first time today, I was falling towards the ground.

"I failed again, didn't I?" I try to smile but find myself too tired to show any emotion at all. Shaoran's hands grip me tighter. It was an obvious sign of his worry.

"I think you should call it a day. You come out looking worse every time," he said.

Most of me, mind and body, yearns to stay as I push myself out of the warmth of his arms and stand up again. "If I give up now then I'll loose all the progress I've made," I argue.

Before Shaoran can say anything more I summon my magic circle and feel my magic flow around me in controlled streams. Just like before something in side of me loses its balance and I find myself right back in Shaoran's arms. Even though my vision was blurry I could see the look on his face saying _I told you so._

"Everything you've learned today is in your memory for you to use again. The only way you would loose that progress is if you burnt yourself out completely."

"I'll let you win," the amount of force it took to speak felt like I was forcing a rock out of my mouth when I spoke, "this time, Shaoran-dono," I managed to mutter before giving in to sleep.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"The darkness! Not again!" my thoughts echoed as I floated in the nothing. I flinched as if someone had stuck me. The power and light of my own star clashed with the malice running off the darkness with such strength that it hurt.

"Let go of me," I commanded the darkness to no avail. It didn't hesitate and instead kept draining my strength from me.

I began to panic.

At this rate I would become nothing more than an empty shell. A being without the strength or will to move.

"I don't want that," I echoed. "I won't let that happen!" I said with more strength. When I made my decision I felt a gentle hand rest on mine. Its power gently guided my own to help show me how to protect myself. With the guidance, the darkness disappeared as if it was never there.

The area became as clear as the night's sky and I could feel the released rod in my hand. Once I settled on my feet I was flooded by a familiar presence. "Clow-san!" I called and as an answer he appeared before me. "You're the one that helped me!" For some reason being with my predecessor made me happy. I think it was something in his aura.

"I didn't help you in the way you believe, Sakura-chan."

"What do you mean? You didn't use your powers to help me?"

Clow nodded no. "I only used my powers for a second in order to let you learn how to repel darkness. It was your own abilities that chased the darkness away."

I looked at my hands in amazement. "My own strength…?" The idea was so foreign. I'd never been able to do anything like that before. I had always thought that I was useless with out the Sakura Cards. Could it be that I had been capable of more all these years?

"Your star has grown a great deal since our last meeting. It's no longer a little light in the universe. That light is quickly becoming a sun. Of course it's that growth that has gotten you in your predicament isn't it?"

"Yes. I didn't realize my magic had become so powerful or that I was able to put that power into a physical form."

I thought back to that beating with Chun Li and the magical blast I had sent her way. As I remembered the seconds before I accidentally released the attack I could feel my power surge through me in the same way. The echo whispered in my ear and I knew without a doubt that I could do it again. In fact, now that I knew how to do it, I knew by instinct that it would be stronger, more concentrated.

For some reason the same didn't go for the repelling shield. The attack was formed in a way similar to releasing a card but the shield was completely foreign to me. The energy fizzled out when I tried to form it.

Clow laughed. "Do not fret, Sakura-chan. Not everything can be mastered easily. But remember, just as some things come together through time and practice, others come in the heat of the moment and through necessity," Clow said then brought his finger to my former staff.

"Sakura-chan is Sakura-chan and Sakura-chan learns best by doing."

"But what if I can't this time? What if I never figure out how to do it?"

"When the time is right you'll know how to do it. After all, Sakura-chan has reformed the staff once before." Clow smiled at me with confidence. He always had faith in me. He has in the past, now, and will always.

I nodded back to him. "Right." Clow chose me to be the next master of the cards. If he believed I could do it then I would believe him.

"Good," he said gently. "It's time to return to all your friends now, Sakura-chan. Until we meet again."

"Thank you, Clow-san," I told him before he vanished and I woke up in the library.

Panic gripped me when I woke up. This was not my room yet the desk across the room was covered in papers and books I was using for a paper in Chinese class I had been working on. Maybe there's a clue about where I am on my desk, I thought.

Just as I was getting up to go over, a large book fell out a school bag slung across the back of a chair with a resounding thump. I stared at the book that had landed open, pages against the floor until I remembered everything. Coming to the Li household, my magic failure, and the fact that that book on the floor was the Japanese-Chinese dictionary I'd borrowed from the library.

I rushed across the room to check on the dictionary and sighed in relief. The Japanese-Chinese dictionary looked okay. There were a few wrinkled pages but days of being pressed between the covers would fix that.

The book I was assigned for the book report turned out to be more complicated than I was capable of easily reading which meant I needed a heavy-duty dictionary. I cursed myself for entering a Chinese school without such a thing.

I sighed looking at the scattered papers at my desk. At first it looked like I had a lot of work done but if you looked closely you would see that most of the papers were point-form notes or drawings. They weren't even good drawings.

I collected them all into a pile and made a note that I would have to pull a couple late and possibly an all-nighter to finish that report. The book had the same theme as a book I'd read back in Tomoeda. I might be able to use that as a base. I wondered if I could get my dad to send me my old essays or if he would tell me it's cheating and leave it at that. I started going through different arguments as I put my stuff away.

When I started closing my books I heard the door to my room open. I spun around and met with Shaoran's eyes. "Ah, you're awake," he said with a smile on his face. "I was worried you wouldn't wake up until later tonight at the earliest."

"Ano…How long was I out, Shaoran-dono?" I said while continuing to clean my papers."

"About a day. You really needed the rest." I could hear Shaoran's footsteps as he walked over to me. His arms snaked around my waist and rested his chin against my shoulder. "You really had me worried. Promise me there won't be anymore training sessions like that."

"I can't. All I can promise is I won't push my limits as far."

"Good enough for now."

Shaoran must have used the break in conversation to look at everything on my desk. Is it impossible too much to ask that you get some privacy when someone is resting their head on your shoulder?! "What's this?" Shaoran asked reaching for the dictionary.

"I-It's nothing! Ano…It's just something Kero-chan slipped into my bag as a joke!" I reached for the book but Shaoran was faster.

"You should have told me you were having trouble with your Chinese. I would have helped you."

"I know," I sighed. "I just though that since I never offered to help you with your Japanese back in Tomoeda, it wouldn't seem fair to ask for your help now," I explained.

"I wouldn't have accepted your help even if you had offered. I probably still wouldn't accept your help," Shaoran argued.

"I still should have offered. It would have been the right thing to do," I tried to tell Shaoran through my tone that no matter what he said I wouldn't accept his help. Maybe I would in the future but not at this moment. I had my pride just like he did.

Shaoran let out of breath in defeat. "If you're sure. Be aware that I'm always willing to help if you should want it in the future."

"Understood, Shaoran-dono." I turned around in his arms so that I was facing him. "What were you looking for me for? And where's Tomoyo-chan?" I said in an attempt to change the conversation.

"Is it a crime for me to spend time with you? Or check on you when you're unconscious?" I pouted which made Shaoran laugh. "Sorry it wasn't something more intimate, Hime-sama." Intimate? What was going through his head?

"Daidouji is out with Hiiragizawa. They said something about errands and that they'll be back soon when they left." Tomoyo was out with Eriol? It couldn't be a date. Tomoyo would have told me. She's not one to keep secrets from me. It would be cute if they were together though, I thought.

Shaoran's face lit up. "Right! I almost forgot!" he said grabbing my hand. "I found an ice cream parlor that sells the best ice cream I've ever tasted. I wanted to take you but you were still unconscious so I bought some to eat here."

I looked down at my long sleeved and pant pajamas. My bedroom even had the chill of the coming winter in it. When Shaoran noticed what I saw he said, "But if you don't want to we could have some hot chocolate. Not everyone likes ice cream in the winter, I wasn't sure if you were one of them."

"That's not it! I was just thinking that I would have to change first!" I said to cover up. Shaoran hadn't sounded nearly as excited about the hot chocolate as the ice cream. He does so much for me; it's time to pay him back. "If you'll just excuse yourself…" I trailed off.

"I'll meet you downstairs. You remember the way right?"

"I think so. If I don't I'll just shout for you." With that he nodded and left.

I wistfully took one last look towards my books left on the desk. It looked like I would have to go back to the paper later. Between Kero and Shaoran it would be a lot of laters.

Nothing eventful happened on the walk to the kitchen unless you count the fact that I somehow managed to make it to there without calling for help. It took me nearly twenty minutes, while speed walking, but that was beside the point.

I practically collapsed on the counter when I go there, telling Shaoran to pick whatever flavor for me, panting the whole time. He went to get the ice cream from the bigger freezer in their basement with a, dare I say it, jump in his step. As I lay there dieing, I couldn't help but notice something felt off. It was like the air was thickening with every breath I took.

That might have just been my mind making my breathing worse, I realized. Illness was half mental I though while I felt my mind begin to drift.

"Feeling a little worn out, Sakura-chan?" I heard the sound of chairs scrapping across the floor. I didn't move. Who was going to hurt me in a household full of magicians and martial artists? "I see you're too tired to acknowledge your new table guests," I was teased.

"Iie, Eriol-kun. I was falling asleep not ignoring you and…" Wait! If Eriol was back then that must mean that…I forced my head to raise itself. I smiled when I saw Tomoyo was back as well. "I'm glad you're back, Tomoyo-chan. I hope you got all your errands done."

She smiled with stars in her eyes. "I did. Now that I have the thread all that's left to sew together the sections of your newest battle outfit." Oh. God.

"That's great," I laughed nervously.

Suddenly, Tomoyo glanced at Eriol, her eyes were questioning and concerned. He nodded in response and closed his eyes. "Something big is going to happen, Sakura-chan. I'm sure you can feel it but just don't recognize the feeling." I nodded stiffly. So today was the day Chun would make her move.

Had Shaoran known about this 'something big'? That would explain why he suddenly wanted to eat ice cream and be worried about me not waking up until later this evening. He might have had a dream about today. I froze mid thought. What if something bad was going to happen to Shaoran and now he wanted to spend as much time with me as he could before I was out of reach for him! If something happened to him…

"What are _you _doing here?" Shaoran asked Eriol with two bowls of ice creams in is hands.

"Keeping Sakura-chan company. So much can happen to one person in a short amount of time," Eriol said. I couldn't say that Eriol was lying since he and Tomoyo were keeping me company. Shaoran didn't look anywhere close to happy.

What Eriol said was rather strange though. Did everyone but me have a dream about what would happen today?

"Which ice cream is for me?" I asked trying to avoid WW3.

"I wasn't sure which flavor you preferred so they're both chocolate," Shaoran said a little embarrassed. Tomoyo giggled as I took the offered cone. Shaoran and his chocolate.

"It's really good, Shaoran-dono!" I cried licking the ice cream

"Did you know chocolate ice cream was first made by accident?" Eriol asked.

I blinked, "Really?"

He nodded. "It happened during one of the coldest winters known to man.

"A woman was making a cake for her family when she knocked her bowl of melted chocolate into her bucket of milk. Saying the milk was useless now; she left it outside to be disposed. Days later, the sons were running around outside and one fell face first into the bucket. With his face and mouth full of the frozen brown mixture he ran into his home asking his mom to make it again." The way Eriol told his tale reminded me of Takashi back in Tomoeda. I realized later on that that should have been my first clue.

"Honto?! Chocolate ice cream was really made by accident?" I asked while cleaning ice cream off my face. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Shaoran was just as astounded as I was.

"It's true."

"Who would have thought something so tasty would be an accident, neh?" Tomoyo said with a smirk. I never questioned the reason behind that smirk. Instead all I could think was how out of place it looked on her face. Someone as angelic as Tomoyo could never pull of that expression.

It was then that a voice sounding like it belonged to an angel fallen through tragedy spoke in my mind. "Come to me, my pawn." The voice awakened the gripping darkness from my nightmares which began to move my body against my will. Its strength was much more intense than when I was sleeping; that fact lead me to believe the darkness was only testing its strength while I slept.

Strangely, after making me stand, not to mention destroying the feeling of companionship and peace at the table, the darkness retreated. The image of the cliff and cherry blossoms from my dream in Tomoeda so many months ago flashed behind my eyes. Like information being downloaded by a computer, my mind learned where the field was. "The time is now. Come to me, Sakura-chan."

"You're right, Li-san. The time is now," I said outloud. The others were out of their chairs once those words left my mouth. A wave of approval flooded my mind from across this bizarre psychic link. How that link was being connected to my mind and body wasn't something that crossed my mind. My vision cleared as Chun left my mind and the first thing I saw was Tomoyo standing ready with a costume change for me.

I nodded when I saw it and went to change without complaint or hesitation. It was my gift to Tomoyo because I knew then that something bad was brewing and it would, most likely, tear everything apart.

Eriol, Shaoran, and myself went to change while Tomoyo woke Meilin from her nap.

* * * *

Standing in that field, rod released and partially shielded by my friends, I knew something was wrong. The trees surrounding the barren field weren't blooming. Shaoran was by my side not across like the scene from my dreams and Yue wasn't standing next to me like Kero. He wasn't even there.

This wasn't the end, I thought. This was only the beginning of a long coming war.

"I never did say you couldn't bring friends, did I, Sakura-chan?" The tragic voice called from near the point of the cliff. "It won't make any difference, I'm sorry to say. Your fate is already intertwined with my plan to the point it's inescapable.

"It's a shame someone as powerful as you had to be reduced to the level of a mere pawn."

"A pawn. What do you mean?" I said. My voice faltered when I spoke. "Aren't I the one you're after?"

"Fortunately for you, Sakura-chan, you aren't. You're not the king, my target. No one here is but someone is close." Chun vanished from her spot and reappeared in between Shaoran and myself. She whispered into Shaoran's ear loud enough for me to hear, "It's too bad the queen almost always must be taken down, right Shaoran-kun?"

Shaoran stiffened. Obviously he never expected himself to be the target. I let desperation fill me and I lunged forward with the rod held in the fashion a swordsman would their sword, Chun backed away, her long black hair waving in the wind my swing created. "I won't let you hurt Shaoran-dono!"

"That outfit is quit fitting for a warrior, Sakura-chan," Chun said referring to the costume Tomoyo had made. I was outfitted in a samurai's kamishimo. The hakamas were a dark red that shared tomes with pink. The kimono was a deep pink which complimented the hakama and had a crisp white kataginu over top of it.

Before I lunged, my rod had been slipped into a sash at my waist like a sword on a samurai. "It would be better if your sword had an edge to it though," Chun said motioning to the missing head of my staff. "I know the missing answer to your staff has plagued your dreams."

I lunged forward again but this time I could see my magic flaring around me. Tears stung my eyes. Why did I have to be useless when my friends needed me? I thrashed when two pairs of arms held me back. "Let me go! I have to do something! I have to!" My tears pooled over as I fought against, who I guessed must be, Shaoran and Eriol. The only thing I could see was all of my failures since coming to Hong Kong.

"I brought her here! I have to be the one to stop her! Don't you see?" I stopped fighting and collapsed to my knees as I started sobbing uncontrollably. "She's my responsibility. It's my entire fault Shaoran's in danger. My fault, my fault."

"Daidouji, look after Sakura-hime for me," I heard Shaoran say. There was an edge to his voice but I couldn't see his face through my tears to identify what it was.

Tomoyo's arms encircled me. "Of course I will."

The tears burned my face as they slid down. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop them. I'm a monster, I thought. I sobbed a lifetime's worth of tears, repeating the same things repeatedly, my fault and kaiju.

I hadn't been able to change myself, I was still a monster just like Touya always said. Only a monster could bring so much danger to its friends. Perhaps I would never change.

"It's not your fault Sakura-chan. Li-san knew where Li-kun was the whole time. Don't carry the world on your shoulders," Tomoyo comforted.

"Ruby Moon! Spinel Sun!" Eriol called out. One female scream and two thuds later I assumed they'd fallen. I knew from experience that one must have fallen victim to an illusion and fought the second believing it was the enemy. All the while, Shaoran's sword screeched as it slid down Chun's.

Maybe it was Tomoyo's words or maybe it was some sort of epiphany, but I felt determination began flowing through me. This field, I decided, would be my final stage as a monster. If I was going to do anything at all today, I would give my friends a chance.

Still sobbing I stood myself up and held the staff in front of me. "Kero-chan!" My voice cracked when I called him. Kero was at my side as soon as I called, waiting for me to take action. His complete faith in me was like Clow. "Get ready to fly," I told him.

My magic flew wildly around me. I could sense all the lost spirits I had worked so hard to ignore and felt the fluctuations of magic from the guardians and the magic wielders.

I though of Clow's faith in me and all of a sudden, as if I'd done it many times before, my magic flowed steadily to my staff like water following the path laid out before it. The staff glowed and the energy began to solidify into a new staff.

"The grand staff," Kero said amazed once the light died down.

"Now Kero-chan!" I shouted jumping onto his back. Adreneline pumped through my veins and I was able to absorb several things at once. Shaoran was cut in several areas of his body, some of them were deep and bleeding freely, this didn't sit well with me. Eriol had scrapes and was looking exhausted. Meanwhile his guardians had reverted to their concealed forms after their fight against each other.

Rage pushed the tears at bay. I wouldn't sit around crying and let Chun hurt them anymore, I resolved. I would use anything in my power to stop her! "Sword! Jump! Fight!" I summoned all at once.

My sword met hers and I held my ground in mid air by putting all my weight into the blade. My sword gained ground against hers and I thought I was getting somewhere. That was until she smirked.

Unlike a full fledged angel like Tomoyo, a fallen angel could pull the look off and it chilled. "I'm enjoying your regained spunk but it's too late. I've seen this strategy from you before and it didn't work. I grow tired of this game, Sakura-chan. It's time to put my plan into action!"

Chun used strength she'd saved to launch me off her sword and to the ground. I didn't stop falling until my back impacted with the ground. I coughed up blood while lying in a crater on my back. Obviously she used a burst of magic to strengthen my launch. I was forcing myself up again when Chun's darkness began to paralyze me from within. I realized, terrified, that the darkness wasn't just paralyzing me, it was an illusion consuming everything about me from the core of my being.

Shaoran and Eriol crowded around my hole in the earth. I knew, as I lost control of my body and my mind began to cloud, that Chun's plan for me was too far into motion for me to stop.

I only had this one chance to do what I had to.

"Eriol-kun, I want you to protect Tomoyo-chan for me," I stared him down while I spoke. He nodded in understanding. He seemed to realize, like I did, that I wasn't going to be on their side for long.

Next I turned my attention to Shaoran. For this I had to force myself into a sitting position. It took all my remaining strength and magic my damaged body had left to fight off Chun's control. "Don't be rash," I told him and placed my lips to his forehead, like Clow had done to me. "Blessings of the Sakura," I muttered before giving in to Chun.

My body collapsed as I my star ran out of strength. The darkness quickly filled the space my light once filled and brought me to the painless release of unconsiousness. I faintly remembered the feeling of flying and Tomoyo and Shaoran screaming my before all I knew was complete darkness and silence.

***

**AN:** About freakin' time! I don't even want to count the amount of time I've kept you all waiting. I hope it was worth the wait. Starting from the next chapter it won't all be from one specific person's point of view. It'll bounce around from Tomoyo, Eriol, Meilin, and of course Shaoran. I'm going to try and put up the next chapter tomorrow night after work. It should be up Monday at the latest. Thank you for reading!


	10. Aftermath

Aftermath

**Tomoyo**

"Sakura-chan!" I screamed. Watching Sakura in torment, like she was in minutes before, always brought forth a painful sorrow deep in my core. The tears I'd been holding back while holding her ran down my cheeks as Chun used her magic to levitate Sakura. She couldn't take my little Sakura-chan away. I couldn't bear the thought of her being away from my side.

The magic surrounded Sakura's body and enveloped her in a glow. The glow had a gentle quality about it. My guess was it was healing while it carried Sakura to Chun's open arms. It was strange but realizing this I felt a little relived. My Sakura seemed to be very important to this Li clan villain and she would take good care of her because of it.

Still, I wished I could do something more than sitting there watching Shaoran and Eriol putting their lives at stake. Meilin had come to this field hoping to do something but Chun's high risk of magic left her reduced to sitting with me. Her hand twitched every time one of our friends was hit. I was surprised Meilin had sat as a bystander for so long. It was one of the most painful things to do. This particular fight was too tender and heart wrenching to film.

The look on Shaoran's face hurt me as much as Sakura's tears. "Sakura-hime!" He cried out. I imagined the look Shaoran had was what Romeo's looked like after seeing his precious Juliet laying 'dead' on that stone floor.

"Behold my mind capture illusion!" Chun said. She touched her pointer and middle fingers to Sakura's forehead. This touch created a rush of energy that rustled Sakura's hair. She began to stir in Chun's arms and Sakura's eyes opened. I gasped, "Sakura-chan," I whispered under my breath. Her eyes were like glass; they were just a lifeless version of what they once were. Even the vibrant pink that everyone associated with Sakura was gone from the staff. It drained of colour until everything that was pink turned silver.

I took it as I sign that our Sakura wasn't there anymore. I stared captivated by those empty emeralds and felt my world come crumbling around me.

Sakura was released from Chun's arms and landed gracefully on the ground. She faced Shaoran and Eriol with the staff poised to attack.

**Meilin**

I didn't understand. What was Kinomoto doing? Shaoran was the last person she should see as an enemy. How could she see Shaoran as an enemy? She refused to hurt Yue when he obviously was planning on seriously injuring her. This couldn't happen! Kinomoto was falling further for Shaoran so hurting him was something she shouldn't be able to dream of doing!

"Kinomoto-san! If you lay one finger on Shaoran then you'll pay!" When she didn't react I just got angry. She was ignoring me! Kinomoto had to be in there! She had to be…

I couldn't stand that look on Daidouji's face. I would never give up on Shaoran, how could she give up on Kinomoto? She's one of the only people in Hong Kong who would have a chance at bringing her back! I stomped my foot in agitation and pointed to Kinomoto. "Did you hear me?"

Kinomoto raised the staff parallel to her body and in an emotionless voice that could belong to anyone but that spitfire of energy said, "Sword."

Shaoran was forced to raise his own sword to defend himself as Sakura lunged forward. Their blades met with an echoing screech. It was breaking my heart to see Sakura attack like that. Poor Shaoran. He wouldn't have the heart to fight back.

**Eriol**

Sakura was gone. I knew that, Tomoyo knew that, and Shaoran didn't want to believe it. He couldn't bring himself to raise his sword against Sakura. All he could do was defend and keep up his footwork.

I walked to Spinel Sun and began to heal his wounds. Ruby Moon had really done a number on him. Meilin began to yell at me for doing something so trivial when we needed to save Sakura but I needed my guardians, just in case. "Ruby Moon, how injured are you?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Spinel took it easy on me. Sometimes he's not as cold as he'd like us to believe."

Spinel laughed dryly. "You should watch what you say. You're not always as sweet as you'd like that Touya to believe."

"Kerberus!" I called. He answered by flying to Ruby's, Spinel, and my side. "I know you are no longer a part of my ancestor, but if you would agree, your assistance would be very helpful."

"I will do what you ask, Clow Reed. If it means Sakura can stand with Yue and I again someday soon I will do anything," Keroberus replied. "Chun works with illusions; I don't believe Sakura's truly gone."

"I agree. Sakura is strong. As is her bond with Shaoran, Yue, and yourself. Yue just has a different way of showing it than the two of you.

All right, you're healed well enough for now, Spinel. All of you, I'm giving Shaoran his chance to talk her back but if it doesn't work, I'll need you two, Spinel and Ruby, to help transport everyone home. Keroberus, I need you to bring Shaoran to the rest of us when I say so. He won't come easily so Spinel will help you."

"Understood, Clow. Come on, Suppie!" Keroberus said while walking closer to Shaoran.

"Don't call me that," Spinel said back as he followed.

Sakura was still slashing at Shaoran. This match could have drawn on for a while longer. Despite being worn out, Shaoran would have stayed until his body failed him. He kept trying but Sakura didn't react to anything he was saying. It was rather heartbreaking to watch.

"Enough of this, Sakura," Chun commanded.

Sakura nodded. "Firey!" she said in her new monotone voice. The Firey wrapped itself around The Sword and I knew this is where everything had to end.

"Now, Spinel and Keroberus!" They rushed Shaoran. Keroberus tackled him which earned a snide remark from Spinel. Spinel slipped Shaoran onto Keroberus while he was stunned. To make sure Shaoran didn't escape, Spinel sandwiched him between himself and Keroberus. The sight would have been funny if it happened at any other time.

They made their way to Ruby Moon and me faster than I'd seen them move before; Sakura was not far behind them. Without skipping a beat, I conquered my magics and focused on Shaoran's courtyard. There were too many people for me to transport on my own after using so much of my own power. Using the bond between magician and guardian, I pulled power through Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun. The drain forced them back to their concealed forms but we were safe.

Shaoran

It had been five days since Sakura was taken from us but to me it seemed like much longer than that. The minutes stretched on for days to me. Watching everyone else moving forward in their lives made it seem like I was trapped in a pocket of space where time couldn't and wouldn't move.

Some would say it was unfair that everyone else could keep living and making plans to fix things while I stayed rooted to a single spot but I accepted it as my punishment. I couldn't protect Sakura and was punished to spend the rest of my life going over what I should have done while at the same time doing what I could to bring her back.

The leaves of the cherry tree I sat beneath rustled against the force of the wind trapped within it. I was sure the same people who have left me to my own devices under that tree also knew Sakura was like the wind. Right now, she was trapped but she would quickly escape through cracks and gaps in my cousin's trap. Eriol knew; that was why he didn't hesitate to save our lives. Tomoyo too. She missed her friend but held her head high with confidence in her friend.

My mother walked by the courtyard on the Veranda, emblazoned by the light of the setting sun. Her eyes made more fierce by orange of dusk locked with mine, telling me it was time to go. I stood up among the roots of the tree and followed her inside. Tomorrow I would begin the fight to bring Sakura back to us all.


End file.
